NEW YORK — The soccer ball Diego Maradona used to score two of the most famous goals in World Cup history — including the infamous “Hand of God” goal — is heading to auction this month, with Dallas-based Heritage Auctions estimating it could sell for $10 million or more.

The ball, an Adidas Azteca model, will go under the hammer during Heritage’s Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction, running Aug. 21-23. Bidding had already reached $2.5 million as of early last week, according to the auction house’s online catalog, with a 22% buyer’s premium applied to any winning bid.

A goal that changed soccer history

Maradona used the ball to score twice within four minutes of each other during Argentina’s 2-1 World Cup quarterfinal victory over England at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 22, 1986. The match, one of the most politically charged in tournament history, came four years after Argentina and England fought the Falklands War.

In the 51st minute, the 5-foot-5 Maradona rose above 6-foot-1 England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and used his left fist to punch the ball into the net — a foul the referee missed, allowing the goal to stand. After the match, Maradona famously described the play, saying his goal was scored, “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.”

Four minutes later, Maradona used the same ball to score what would later be voted the “Goal of the Century” in a 2002 FIFA poll, dribbling past five English defenders and Shilton before slotting the ball into the net. Argentina went on to win the tournament, defeating West Germany in the final.

From a referee’s private collection to a record-setting sale

The ball’s ownership history adds another layer to its story. It was previously owned by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the 1986 match and held onto the ball for decades afterward. Bin Nasser sold the ball at a UK auction in November 2022 through Graham Budd Auctions, where it fetched roughly $2.4 million — well below the up to $3.6 million some had projected at the time.

That 2022 sale came just months after the jersey Maradona wore during the same match — which belonged to England midfielder Steve Hodge, who traded shirts with Maradona after the game — sold at Sotheby’s for a record-breaking $9.3 million, more than double what had been predicted.

Heritage Auctions is now pointing to that jersey sale as a benchmark for how much interest the ball itself could draw this time around. “I think it’s easily the most historic ball in the realm of soccer,” Dan Imler, the auction house’s vice president of sports, told AFP.

Renewed interest tied to the 2026 World Cup

Heritage Auctions has said this year’s World Cup, hosted jointly across North America, helped drive renewed demand for soccer memorabilia ahead of the sale. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, hosted nine tournament matches, more than any other venue used during the 2026 World Cup.

The Maradona ball won’t be the only soccer item up for bid. The same Heritage sale includes an early Maradona trading card, a signed Pelé card, and memorabilia connected to current stars Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal. Beyond soccer, the broader Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction features a wide range of high-profile sports collectibles, including an autographed Michael Jordan card, the ball from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s final regular-season NBA scoring play, one-of-one rookie cards tied to Peyton Manning and Patrick Mahomes, a Hulk Hogan championship belt, and equipment connected to golfer Ben Hogan.

Maradona’s enduring legacy

Maradona, widely regarded alongside Brazil’s Pelé as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, wore the number 10 jersey throughout his storied career with Argentina, Napoli, Barcelona and Boca Juniors. He died of cardiac arrest on Nov. 25, 2020, at age 60, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across the sport and a period of national mourning in Argentina.

Nearly six years after his death, memorabilia tied to his career continues to command extraordinary prices at auction, driven both by his outsized cultural significance in Argentina and the singular controversy of the “Hand of God” goal, which remains one of the most replayed and debated moments in World Cup history.

Heritage Auctions has not disclosed the identity of the current seller offering the ball for this month’s sale. Bidding will remain open through the close of the Aug. 21-23 auction window, with the final sale price to be determined by competitive bidding beyond the current $10 million estimate.

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PHILADELPHIA — LeBron James is entering his 23rd NBA season with a new team, a new city and a question that will shape the entire Philadelphia 76ers season: Who actually runs this offense?

James signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the 76ers in late July, a stunning pay cut from the roughly $52.6 million he made last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, as he chases a fifth championship in what he has called his final chapter in the league. He joins a roster that already features center Joel Embiid, All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey and newly acquired forward Jaylen Brown, along with rising second-year wing VJ Edgecombe — giving Philadelphia arguably its deepest collection of scoring talent in franchise history, and setting up a genuine competition for touches once the season tips off.

Based on how James, Brown and the Sixers’ front office have described their plans, the early answer appears to be that no single player will function as a traditional No. 1 option — least of all James, who is expected to slide into more of a playmaking role rather than serve as Philadelphia’s primary scorer.

LeBron as playmaker, not primary scorer

According to reporting from Yardbarker, Brown will have to embrace not being the No. 1 option, with James expected to be Philadelphia’s playmaking point guard, setting up Maxey and Brown in off-ball scoring situations. That framing lines up with how James performed last season in Los Angeles, where he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds across 60 games while increasingly deferring to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves late in games.

ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill noted that James has already shown in Los Angeles that he can take a back seat as a primary scoring option, playing behind Doncic and Reaves in small sample sizes. That adaptability is central to how the Sixers envision deploying him — less as a bucket-getter and more as a connector who can simplify the game for a roster loaded with players used to shouldering heavy offensive burdens.

A crowded hierarchy at the top

The more pressing question inside the organization may not be about James specifically, but about how four accomplished offensive players — James, Brown, Maxey and Embiid — divide shots and shot-creation responsibility. Brown arrives in Philadelphia coming off a season in which he was, according to ESPN, second in the NBA in usage rate while playing as Boston’s No. 1 option in place of an injured Jayson Tatum, with Maxey ranking 15th in usage over that same stretch.

Analysts at NBA Analysis Network argued that the arrangement is designed specifically to avoid overloading any one player: the starting lineup “has more than enough offense and versatility to make sure that no one player is put in a position where they get overwhelmed due to their responsibilities,” with Maxey now able to defer to two elite on-ball options in Brown and James, while Embiid may be able to manage his workload more effectively knowing the two new starters can absorb his offensive load.

Yardbarker’s reporting suggested that if Brown performs at the level he did in Boston — where he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists — he, rather than James, may end up as Philadelphia’s primary offensive option as the team leans on merit rather than reputation to sort out its pecking order.

Coach Nick Nurse faces a delicate balancing act

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse has been candid about the challenge of establishing a clear hierarchy among four players accustomed to being featured scorers. Speaking to ESPN, Nurse laid out the questions he’s still working through: “What’s their belief when s— gets tough? What sets are they running? Who’s the leader? Does Jaylen Brown become the vocal leader? Is it Bron? What about Maxey, is he one of the guys?” Nurse called those interpersonal dynamics “more important than the physical stuff” as training camp approaches.

One Eastern Conference assistant coach told ESPN he expects the group to sort out roles organically, saying, “They all know they’re going to have to sacrifice,” and predicting that “the respect for each other’s individual games is already established, and the crown will be passed around and understood.”

Why Maxey still matters most to the plan

Despite the star power added around him, Maxey remains central to Philadelphia’s identity. He was reportedly cited directly by James’ agent, Rich Paul, as one of the primary factors in James’ decision to sign with the Sixers, given the two players’ existing relationship through Klutch Sports. Maxey led the NBA in minutes last season while averaging 28.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists, and the organization has built its recent identity around his development as its floor general.

Health, not hierarchy, may decide the answer

Ultimately, James’ actual offensive role in 2027 may hinge less on strategy and more on availability. The 76ers are expected to load-manage both Embiid, now 32, and James, who will turn 42 during the season, given Embiid’s injury history and James having played 60 games last season in Los Angeles. If either or both players miss extended stretches, Brown and Maxey would almost certainly assume larger offensive burdens by necessity rather than design.

For now, no formal statement from the Sixers or head coach Nick Nurse has definitively named a first offensive option heading into 2026-27. Based on available reporting, the most likely outcome is not a single primary scorer, but a rotating offensive hierarchy that shifts game to game — with James positioned as facilitator first, scorer second, at least to start the season.

MADRID — The moon’s shadow is about to make a rare loop over the top of the world, and when it comes down, it will bring the first total solar eclipse to mainland Europe in nearly three decades.

The eclipse, set for Wednesday, Aug. 12, will trace a narrow band of totality that begins over Russia’s remote Taymyr Peninsula, arcs across the North Pole, sweeps down through Greenland and Iceland, and finally curves into northern Spain before exiting over the Balearic Islands, according to eclipse-tracking site Mappr. Only a handful of countries will fall directly inside that path, but tens of millions more across three continents will get a partial view. Here are the 10 countries best positioned to witness the spectacle.

1. Spain

Spain is shaping up to be the marquee destination for this eclipse, and for good reason. According to Time Out, Spain is expected to be the best place to watch largely because the eclipse occurs right around sunset there, paired with more reliably clear weather conditions than the rest of the path. The path of totality crosses northern and eastern Spain, and cities like León and Burgos, though not directly on the centerline, are still positioned to see totality lasting close to two minutes. For Spain, this marks the country’s first total solar eclipse in more than a hundred years.

Dr. Doug Duncan, an astronomer at the University of Colorado and former director of the Fiske Planetarium, is leading a sold-out trip to Zaragoza for the event. Duncan cautioned that “the biggest wrong idea about eclipses is that if you’ve seen a 90% eclipse, you’ve seen most of the show,” underscoring how different a brush with totality is from a merely partial view.

2. Iceland

Iceland offers eclipse-chasers a dramatic Arctic backdrop, with the best views expected around western Iceland, particularly in Reykjavík, Reykjanes, Snæfellsnes and the Westfjords, according to Time Out. Timeanddate.com estimates the eclipse there will begin around 4:42 p.m. local time, reach totality at 5:43 p.m., and last roughly three minutes from start to finish, with totality itself lasting close to a minute in Reykjavík. Iceland’s sparse population also means low light pollution, which should sharpen the view. A four-day Iceland Eclipse music festival is being held in the country to mark the occasion.

3. Greenland

Greenland sits squarely in the path of totality, with the eclipse crossing its remote eastern reaches in the late afternoon or early evening, according to NASA. Along with Russia and the North Atlantic, the area near Greenland’s centerline is expected to see some of the longest totality of the entire event — up to roughly 2 minutes and 18 seconds, the maximum duration anywhere along the path, according to eclipse-mapping site Mappr.

4. Portugal

A small corner of northwestern Portugal falls within the path of totality, giving the country a brief but genuine shot at full darkness before sunset. NASA notes the sun won’t be completely eclipsed there until late evening, just before it dips below the horizon — creating what several outlets have described as the potential for a striking “sunset eclipse.”

5. Russia

The eclipse technically begins over Russian territory, specifically the remote and largely uninhabited Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia. According to eclipse-guide site NationalEclipse.com, totality begins there at an unusual local time near midnight, since the sun never fully sets in that region during summer months near the Arctic Circle. While population in the immediate path is minimal, it remains one of only a handful of nations where totality is technically visible from land.

6. Morocco

Northwestern Africa is positioned to catch a deep partial eclipse as the moon’s shadow exits toward the Atlantic. NASA lists northwestern Africa among the regions that will experience a substantial partial eclipse, giving Morocco some of the best non-totality views on the African continent.

7. United Kingdom

Much of the United Kingdom will see a large partial eclipse, according to Mappr, with the depth of the eclipse increasing the closer viewers are to the path of totality passing just to the south. Skywatchers across England, Scotland and Wales are expected to see the moon take a significant bite out of the sun during the afternoon hours.

8. France

France sits close enough to the path to see a substantial partial eclipse as well, with Mappr noting that France, the British Isles and the rest of Iberia will see a large partial eclipse that tapers off further south and east across the continent.

9. Canada

On the North American side of the Atlantic, NASA notes that most of Canada will experience a partial solar eclipse that day, making it one of the best-positioned countries in the Western Hemisphere to catch a glimpse, even without reaching totality.

10. United States

Parts of the northern United States, stretching from Alaska to North Carolina, are expected to see a partial solar eclipse as well, according to NASA — giving American skywatchers a reason to look up, even though the path of full totality remains firmly on the other side of the Atlantic.

A rare and narrow window

Regardless of location, experts stress the path of totality itself is remarkably thin — only about 290 kilometers wide, according to Mappr — meaning travelers hoping to experience full darkness need to be precisely positioned within that band, not simply in a country the path technically touches. Everywhere outside the path, and during the partial phases even within it, eclipse safety experts emphasize that certified eclipse glasses meeting the ISO 12312-2 standard are required; ordinary sunglasses, no matter how dark, do not provide adequate protection. Only during the brief seconds or minutes of full totality is it safe to look at the eclipsed sun without protective eyewear.

For those weighing where to plant themselves this August, meteorologists at Eclipsophile note that roughly two-thirds of the eclipse’s path runs over open ocean, making land-based viewing sites in Spain and its islands, along with Iceland, the most weather-reliable bets for anyone chasing a clear view of totality.

LONDON — A birthday video posted by Meghan Markle has drawn criticism from a former royal household staffer, who says the Duchess of Sussex’s latest social media posts closely mirror the style used by Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Markle, who turned 45 on Aug. 4, shared a series of personal clips and photos on Instagram documenting her celebration. One image showed her jumping into a swimming pool while holding a bunch of birthday balloons. Other footage, captured by Prince Harry, showed her dancing in the kitchen of the couple’s Montecito, California, home and placing small party hats on the family’s dogs.

A former butler weighs in

Grant Harrold, who served as a butler to King Charles for seven years and also looked after William, Catherine and Harry during stays at Highgrove House, said the tone and format of Markle’s video reminded him of content the Waleses have posted in recent months.

Speaking to Showbiz Cheat Sheet through the betting analysis site OLBG, Harrold said: “This video of Meghan reminded me of how William and Kate have posted fun videos of them on holiday to mark special occasions and say thank you to the public. But on this occasion I don’t think [Meghan and Harry] needed to say ‘Thank you for the birthday messages.’ I think they could have said something different. This is still them acting like senior members of the royal family, which is interesting, particularly after their recent visit.”

Harrold went further in comments carried by RealityTea, saying, “When I first saw it, I thought it was them almost trying to one-up William and Kate,” adding that he found the style of the videos “very close to the bone” when compared with how the Waleses currently communicate with the public online.

Questioning the videos’ spontaneity

Harrold also raised questions about how the footage was produced, telling Reality Tea that while the clips appeared designed to look spontaneous, he claimed it was “obvious” Markle knew she was being filmed. He did, however, acknowledge that Markle had every right to mark her birthday publicly, saying only that he believed there were other ways the occasion could have been shared.

Since leaving royal service, Harrold has built a public career as a U.K. etiquette expert. He published his first book, “The Royal Butler,” in 2025, which became an Amazon bestseller, and now appears regularly on television offering commentary on royal news.

Other commentators offer a different take

Harrold was not alone in commenting on the video, though not every royal watcher framed it as a comparison to William and Kate. Broadcaster Rupert Bell, speaking on TalkTV with Ian Collins, offered a separate critique focused on the couple’s broader approach to sharing their private life. According to Bell, “I think it’s their desperate need to always seem to be posting how wonderfully fun they are.”

Bell suggested the timing of Markle’s post may have been influenced by recent public attention on the Wales family, saying, “We saw the pictures of the Waleses and their children plastered everywhere when they went to the Commonwealth Games.” He added: “It feels like they’re showing that they’re one big happy family and everything is alright in their world.”

Context: a complicated family relationship

The commentary comes against a backdrop of ongoing public speculation about the relationship between Meghan and Kate, which has remained a subject of tabloid interest since Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020. Harrold, in separate comments reported by AceOdds and carried by the Daily Express, previously suggested that Meghan missed a chance to publicly extend goodwill toward Kate on the princess’s birthday in January, saying a public message would have sent a strong signal that relations were improving.

At the time, Harrold said he believed any reconciliation between the two women was likely happening privately rather than in public view, telling AceOdds, “I absolutely believe that privately there will be birthday wishes — whether that is a phone call, a video call, birthday cards being sent, and possibly even gifts.”

Little confirmed about the day itself

Beyond what Markle posted online, few details have been confirmed about how she actually spent her birthday. Reports indicate she is believed to have marked the occasion with Harry and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at the family’s California home. Harry can reportedly be heard speaking in the background of some of the Instagram clips, though neither he nor Markle has commented publicly on the criticism.

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not respond to the various claims made by royal commentators about the video’s intent or execution.

A recurring pattern of scrutiny

The episode reflects a familiar dynamic in British tabloid coverage, in which the Sussexes’ social media activity is routinely analyzed and compared against that of the Wales family, often by royal commentators without direct knowledge of either couple’s private intentions. Since Markle rejoined Instagram in January 2025 after a five-year absence from the platform, her posts — from family photos to behind-the-scenes glimpses of life in Montecito — have consistently drawn this kind of comparative commentary from royal watchers in the U.K. press.

No formal statement addressing the comparisons has been issued by Kensington Palace or by representatives for the Sussexes as of this writing.