39 years have passed, but it seems like only yesterday that Diego Armando Maradona immortalized the T-shirt he bought in the popular Tepito neighborhood of Mexico City, and this Thursday, on what would have been his 65th birthday, it was auctioned again. It is remembered for the high price of ten million dollars at which it was sold at auction. Undoubtedly an exorbitant price, but one that certainly reflects the impact this jersey represented in the international sports arena, with its unique history, which gained even greater significance after the goal known as "The Hand of God," which secured a 2-1 victory against England in the quarterfinals, where the Argentine star also scored perhaps one of the most surprising goals in the history of international football. The jersey itself already has a unique history, but for Mexicans it represents much more because among the urban legends surrounding the so-called "Hand of God" jersey is the claim that it was supposedly acquired in the market of the popular Tepito neighborhood in Mexico City. A garment that was acquired almost in an emergency when the French sportswear brand Le Coq Sportif, sponsor of the Albiceleste, supposedly He failed to deliver the Argentine team's uniforms before their important match against England.

The Incredible Story of Tepito

Because of all these aspects, the famous jersey has a unique story behind it, and Hector Miguel Zeleda, third goalkeeper of that South American squad led by the controversial and successful coach Carlos Salvador Bilardo and part of Club America where the Argentine team was based, suggested buying the jerseys at the Tepito neighborhood market.

The coaching staff accepted the suggestion without knowing that days later Maradona would immortalize the jersey to the point that, years later, it generated value in the collectors' market. to the point that in 2022 it was acquired at auction in the United States for nearly ten million dollars, demonstrating the level of devotion to this garment, which became a valuable relic thanks to the ingenuity of Mexican craftsmanship.

An Emergency That Turned Out Perfectly

Amid the controversy surrounding the story of Maradona's jersey acquired in Tepito as an emergency, according to accounts from that time, Argentina was going to play in its traditional light blue and white striped jersey, but since England was going to wear its white jersey, the Argentinians looked for an alternative. As they had exchanged jerseys in the previous match against Uruguay, they were left without any spares.

Thus, at the suggestion of Hector Miguel Zelada, according to Ruben Moschella's account, the night before they went to Tepito and in a sporting goods store found counterfeit versions of the blue jersey that were part of the official repertoire registered with the FIFA.

With the kit in their possession, they enlisted the help of the Club America staff who added the crests and numbers by hand with needle and thread, while the numbers were improvised from American football, larger in size, but within the established regulations.

Many years later, the famous "Big Head" Oscar Ruggeri corroborated this version that the jerseys were bought in Tepito, despite the fact that the official French brand that supplied the Argentinians' kit has supposedly denied these events that went down in history.

In May 2022, Sotheby's auction house sold that same garment, which Maradona exchanged with Englishman Steve Hodge after the match, for $9.28 million, making it one of the most expensive sports jerseys ever sold.

Finally, in Mexico, these events are still commemorated and depicted in murals in Tepito portrays him as "just one of the neighborhood," and the Azteca Stadium still echoes with his name, while every October 30th his memory resurfaces in the minds of his millions of fans around the world.They ran out of spare parts.

That's how, at Hector Miguel Zelada's suggestion, according to Ruben Moschella's account, they went to Tepito the night before and found counterfeit versions of the blue jersey in a sporting goods store. These jerseys were part of the official kit registered with FIFA.

With the jerseys in their possession, they enlisted the help of Club America's female employees, who added the crests and numbers by hand with needle and thread. The numbers were improvised from American football, larger in size, but still within the established regulations.

Many years later, the famous "Big Head" Oscar Ruggeri corroborated this version that the jerseys were bought in Tepito, even though the official French brand that supplied the Argentinians' kits has supposedly denied these events that have gone down in history.

In May 2022, the auction house Sotheby's sold that same garment,which Maradona exchanged with Englishman Steve Hodge after the match, for $9.28 million, making it one of the most expensive sports jerseys ever sold. Finally, in Mexico, these events remain relevant, and murals in Tepito portray him as "one of the neighborhood," and the Azteca Stadium still resonates with his name, while every October 30th his memory resurfaces in the minds of his millions of fans around the world. They ran out of spare parts.

That's how, at Hector Miguel Zelada's suggestion, according to Ruben Moschella's account, they went to Tepito the night before and found counterfeit versions of the blue jersey in a sporting goods store. These jerseys were part of the official kit registered with FIFA.

With the jerseys in their possession, they enlisted the help of Club America's female employees, who added the crests and numbers by hand with needle and thread. The numbers were improvised from American football, larger in size, but still within the established regulations.

Many years later, the famous "Big Head" Oscar Ruggeri corroborated this version that the jerseys were bought in Tepito, even though the official French brand that supplied the Argentinians' kits has supposedly denied these events that have gone down in history.

In May 2022, the auction house Sotheby's sold that same garment, which Maradona exchanged with Englishman Steve Hodge after the match, for $9.28 million, making it one of the most expensive sports jerseys ever sold. Finally, in Mexico, these events remain relevant, and murals in Tepito portray him as "one of the neighborhood," and the Azteca Stadium still resonates with his name, while every October 30th his memory resurfaces in the minds of his millions of fans around the world.