The Other Side of the Hand of God

Inside the Most Notorious Match in World Cup History

The Other Side of the Hand of God reveals the story behind the defining four minutes of Mexico ’86, when Maradona scored the ‘Hand of God’ and the ‘Goal of the Century’. Asif Burhan uncovers the drama, context and human stories behind Argentina v England’s most famous match, showing how it reshaped football history forever, truly.

The Other Side of the Hand of God is the inside story of the world’s most mythologised football match. On 22 June 1986, in front of 114,580 fans at the Estadio Azteca, Diego Maradona scored two of the most iconic goals ever witnessed – one illegal, one immortal. For Argentina, it was redemption; for England, devastation; for football, a moment of irreversible transformation. Asif Burhan takes readers on a gripping journey through the lead-up, fallout and lasting cultural shockwave of the 1986 World Cup quarter-final. Drawing on insight from players including Terry Butcher, John Barnes and Chris Waddle; broadcasters such as Martin Tyler and Barry Davies; photographers like Bob Thomas and Peter Robinson, and the journalists, producers and officials who lived it, he reveals the human stories behind a match that shaped modern football. Burhan traces Maradona’s upbringing, his genius and flaws, and the political weight of the Falklands War that hung over the fixture. He follows England’s turbulent campaign from hotel corridors to tactical debates, uncovering tension, pride and psychological strain behind the scenes. This is a story told from every angle: supporters, commentators, politicians and the men behind the lenses who captured history in a single frame. Burhan’s meticulous research transports the reader from Tottenham’s White Hart Lane, where Maradona played a surreal testimonial weeks before the World Cup, to the Sotheby’s auction room where his match-worn shirt later sold for over £7m. Blending football detail with human drama, The Other Side of the Hand of God is the definitive account of how four minutes in Mexico created a legend, reshaped two nations’ footballing futures and cemented Maradona’s place as the most controversial genius the sport has ever known.