MADRID—The jersey Diego Maradona wore in the 1986 World Cup final was back in Argentine hands Thursday thanks to German great Lothar Matthäus.
Matthäus, who swapped jerseys with Maradona at halftime of the final won by Argentina in México, returned the historic apparel at a ceremony at the Argentina Embassy in Madrid.
The shirt will be displayed at a new soccer museum in the Spanish capital.
“It was always a great honor to play against him,” Matthäus said of the late Maradona, through a translator. “As a player and a person, he was always someone very important to me. He will always be in our hearts.”
Matthäus said he also exchanged jerseys with Maradona after the 1990 World Cup final won by the Germans in Italy. He said that shirt was in a museum in Germany.
The jersey Maradona wore against England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup, when he scored the controversial “Hand of God” goal, was sold for more than $9 million in an online auction by Sotheby’s in May, the highest price ever paid at auction for a piece of sports memorabilia.
Matthäus was given a plaque at the Argentina Embassy in recognition of his soccer career and contribution of sporting values.
In Istanbul, Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas won UEFA’s player of the year awards, making it a sweep for Spanish clubs.
Benzema had been the heavy favorite for the men’s award after scoring 15 Champions League goals to lead Real Madrid to a record-extending 14th European title.
Putellas won a second straight UEFA women’s best player award after helping Barcelona reach the Champions League final in defense of its title. Barcelona lost to Lyon.
She was expected to lead Spain at the European Championship in July but suffered a serious knee injury days before the tournament started in England.
Putellas limped up several steps to the stage to collect her trophy minutes after the men’s Champions League groups were drawn.
The coaching awards went to the winners of the two biggest events last season—Carlo Ancelotti of Madrid and Sarina Wiegman, who led England to the Euro 2022 title.
Voting was done by coaches whose teams played in European competitions and selected journalists across Europe.
Benzema won from a three-player shortlist that included Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.