How it unfolded
Four years after the Falklands War ended, the two countries met before 114,580 fans at the Azteca. The first half finished scoreless. Six minutes into the second half, Steve Hodge's clearance floated awkwardly into the penalty area, and Diego Maradona rose ahead of goalkeeper Peter Shilton to punch the ball into the net with his left hand. Neither Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser nor his assistants saw the infringement, and Maradona later said the goal had been scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." Four minutes later, he picked up the ball in his own half on the right, spun twice to escape Peter Beardsley and Peter Reid, and sprinted roughly 60 metres in just over ten seconds, beating Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick in turn before rounding Shilton and slotting the ball home left-footed. In a 2002 FIFA internet poll, the goal was voted the greatest of the 20th century. England pulled a goal back nine minutes from time through a Gary Lineker header from a John Barnes cross; Lineker finished the tournament as top scorer with six goals. Argentina went on to beat Belgium 2-0 in the semi-final and West Germany 3-2 in the final.
Why it still matters
The fact that football's two extremes came from a single player within four minutes is why this match is replayed regardless of tactics or the final result. Every handball controversy and every argument for VAR since has used this moment as the reference point, and Maradona's second goal remains the strongest single piece of evidence that an individual can overwhelm a team. His standing within the Argentine national team was decided in these 90 minutes.