Watched by a crowd of 114,580 spectators in ciudad de México's Azteca Stadium, the match was heavy with tension because of the overspill of feeling from the Falklands War. Squads of military police brandishing white batons patrolled the ground, but apart from a few isolated skirmishes the rival England and Argentine fans gave all their attention to a game that was electric with action and atmosphere.

All eyes were on Diego Maradona, who was in the form of his life and forcing good judges to reassess whether Pele really was the greatest footballer of all time. He might have been the shortest man on the field at 5ft 4in, but the chunky, wide-shouldered Argentine captain paraded across the pitch with the assured air of a giant among pygmies. England's defenders noticeably quivered every time he took possession, which was often because he was continually demanding the ball the moment it reached the feet of any team-mate. When he had the ball on his left foot, he would glide past tackles with the ease of a Rolls-Royce overtaking a Reliant Robin; and when he did not have the ball he was still a menace because of the speed with which he ran into areas of space to make himself available for a pass.

England defender Terry Fenwick, out of the retaliate-first school of football, decided that a physical assault might be the best way to keep Maradona quiet. Wrong! All he got for his clumsy effort was a booking and a cold stare from the Master that could be interpreted as meaning that he would eventually pay for his attempted ambush. He would pick his moment to provide action to go with that look.

England might have fared better in a goalless first forty-five minutes had they been more adventurous, but they were so conscious of Maradona's match-winning ability that they cautiously kept players back in defence. They would have been better employed supporting raids against an Argentine back line that looked vulnerable under attack.

The second-half belonged almost entirely to Maradona, and the two goals that he scored became the major talking point of the entire tournament. The first will always be remembered for its controversy - many would say, cheating - and the second for its quite astounding quality.

Six minutes had gone of the second-half when Maradona swept the ball to the feet of Valdano, and raced into the penalty area for the return. As he made his break some England defenders were appealing for offside. But the linesman's flag stayed down as Valdano's centre was deflected across the face of the England goal by Steve Hodge. Goalkeeper Peter Shilton came off his line prepared to punch clear.

There seemed no way the stocky Maradona, dwarfed by the powerfully built England goalkeeper, could outjump Shilton. Spectators looked on in amazement as the ball cannoned into the net off Maradona with the airborne Shilton stretching out to thrash empty air.

All eyes in the Press box swivelled towards the action replay on the television screen for confirmation of what they thought they had just seen, and there was the instant evidence. No doubt about it, Maradona had pushed the ball into the net with his left hand.

Outraged Shilton led a posse of protesting players trying to persuade referee Ali Ben Naceur that the goal had been illegal but, from the angle that the Tunisian saw it, Maradona appeared to have scored with his head. He pointed to the centre-circle and the little man from Buenos Aires went on a dance of celebration that should have been a skulk of shame.

Four minutes later, with the aggrieved England players trying to regain their composure, the Jeykll and Hyde character that was Maradona unveiled the genius in his game. He produced the sort of magic that had prompted Napoli to buy him from Barcelona for a world record �6.9 million in 1984.

To say he ran rings round England would be too simple a description of a goal that stands comparison with the very best scored anywhere and at any time. Indeed, it was voted Goal of the Century in 1999.

Running with the ball at his feet from close to the halfway line, Maradona drew England defenders to him like a spider luring its prey. Kenny Sansom, Terry Butcher and then Terry Fenwick - he who tried a physical assault in the first half - all came into the Maradona web and were left in a tangle behind him as he accelerated past their attempted tackles.

Again, it was Maradona versus Shilton, this time on the ground. Maradona did not have to cheat his way past the England goalkeeper. He sold him an outrageous dummy that left Shilton scrambling for a shot that was never made, and then nonchalantly prodded the ball into the empty net for a goal of breathtaking beauty. It was a moment of magnificence that sweetened the sour taste left by Maradona's first goal. Well, almost.

England, to their credit, battled back and substitute John Barnes laid on a goal for the razor-sharp Lineker in the eightieth minute (makingGary the tournament's top marksman with six goals). But it was Argentina who went through to the semi-finals.

As they walked exhausted off the bakehouse of a pitch after their 2-1 defeat, the England players - led by Shilton - found the energy to continue their complaints to the referee about the first Maradona goal. But most of the capacity crowd were talking only about his second goal as they filed out of the ground at the end of an eventful quarter-final that would always be remembered as 'Maradona's match.'

The little man had a mix between a smile and a smirk on his face as he said later: 'Yes, the ball did go into the England net off my hand. It was the hand of God. It was not deliberate and so I do not in any way feel guilty claiming it as a goal. Would an England player have gone to the referee and said, "Don't award the goal. The ball hit my hand?" Of course not. Anyway, why all the controversy? Surely my second goal ended all arguments.'

Bobby Robson summed up the feelings of most England followers when he said: 'There is no room in football for cheating. Maradona is a magnificent footballer, but he should be thoroughly ashamed of himself. Yes, his second goal was a thing of wonder, but that should have counted as Argentina's first goal.'
  

Source Notes

José Luis Cuciuffo died on 11 December 2004 due to a stomach wound from a hunting accident.

TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
PlanetWorldCup
Rothman's Yearbooks
FIFA.com
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record (Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Norman Giller, Football Author
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CG