Graham Poll - Geoff Hurst, the Hand of God and the Biggest Rows in World Football

But this complicated man, who could be so violent towards opponents, could bring a football under control with the deftest, gentle touch and was capable of great artistry on the football pitch. Bixente Lizarazu, who played with him for Bordeaux and France, said, ‘When we didn't know what to do, we just gave the ball to Zizou and he worked something out.’

From the back streets of Marseille came the most expensive player in the world. He won league titles in Italy and Spain. He won the World Cup and the European Championship. He was FIFA's world player of the year three times. His two goals as France won in 1998, together with his penalty in 2006, mean that he scored in two World Cup Finals. Yet his last act as a pro was to head-butt an opponent.

Like Zinedine Zidane, Diego Armando Maradona grew up in a humble family and went on to become the pre-eminent player of his generation. Some will tell you that Maradona was the greatest of all time. But, as with Zidane, it is impossible to assess the Argentine without factoring in an offence committed at a World Cup—and I am an England fan, so you know where I stand. As far as I am concerned, the notorious ‘Hand of God’ goal against England during the 1986 World Cup disqualifies Maradona from inclusion alongside Pele and Johan Cruyff in the very top bracket of the best ever to have played the game. And, from a modern perspective, the way Maradona cheated that day asks some questions for referees and for the game itself. So let's get in the time machine again. Set the dial for 1986.

In Mexico, the 13th staging of the World Cup finals involved three teams from the United Kingdom. Scotland were eliminated at the group stage, losing to Denmark and West Germany and gleaning their single point from a goalless game against Uruguay. Their only goal in three matches was scored by Gordon Strachan. Northern Ireland were also knocked out with just one point, although their group included Brazil and Spain, and they did finish above Algeria.

England, meanwhile, stuttered along unconvincingly until, on 11 June, a Gary Lineker hat-trick gave them victory against Poland. That made them group runners-up behind Morocco and saw them through to the first knock-out stage, the ‘round of 16’. England did not appear to be in the sort of form to worry anyone, least of all Argentina, who breezed through their group with two wins and a draw, and for whom Maradona was living up to his pre-tournament billing as a major talent.

But England were getting into their stride at the right time and two more goals from Lineker and one from Peter Beardsley saw them ease past Paraguay 3-0 (in Mexico City on 18 June) to set up a quarterfinal against Argentina, 1-0 winners against Uruguay. The three other quarterfinals all went to penalties. The attendance for England's quarterfinal in the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City (on 22 June) was an astonishing 115,000. The fateful moment came after 51 scoreless minutes.

England had just dealt with one attack and most players were still in our half. Maradona, dropping deep, took possession about 40 yards from our goal, about ten metres in from our right touchline, and started motoring forwards. Two rows of England players were stationed in front of him and Glenn Hoddle stepped forward from the ranks to close him down. The little Argentine simply swayed away to his right and left the future England coach stranded. As Barry Davies said on the BBC television commentary, with a tone of mounting concern, ‘Maradona just walked away from Hoddle.’

Peter Reid, playing left midfield, ran back and across but the ArgentineD/B/A KENNEBEC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH's acceleration had carried him away before Reid got there. Three defenders came out from the edge of the penalty area to try to deal with the obvious and increasing threat but they too were left marooned out of position as Maradona, now equidistant between the two sidelines, used his left foot to stab the ball to his right towards a team-mate, Jorge Valdano, who was standing inside the D of the penalty area, with his back to goal.

Valdano's attempt to control the pass sent the ball spiralling upwards. The player marking him, Steve Hodge, stuck up his left leg and miskicked the ball higher into the air and back towards his own goalkeeper, Peter Shilton. Maradona had continued his run, hoping for a one-two with Valdano. Shilton came out to punch away Hodge's miscued attempted clearance. Maradona arrived at the same time as the ball. Up went Maradona. Up went Maradona's left arm. Cue pandemonium.

Maradona used his clenched hand to flip the ball up and over Shilton's attempted punch and into the goal. Maradona immediately started celebrating but, at first, none of his team-mates joined in. So he waved them towards him. Shilton pointed to his own arm, in a gesture that the watching world knew meant, ‘Handball!’ The goalkeeper sprinted out to the referee to protest and other England players joined him. But the ref had already signalled a goal and the goal stood.

Four minutes later, Maradona scored a second goal, one of the best ever seen in a major match. Watching it again now, you wonder whether you're playing the clip in fast mode. Maradona had his back to our goal when he gained possession inside his own half but a trail of flailing defenders was left like flotsam in his wake as he span around and just kept running before beating Shilton legitimately. Lineker collected a goal for England ten minutes before the end, his sixth of the tournament. But Argentina won 2-1. They beat Belgium in the semi-final, and then, in front of another 115,000 crowd at the Aztec (on 29 June), Argentina beat West Germany 3-2 in the Final. Maradona was carried around the pitch shoulder high, holding the trophy aloft. Like Zidane 20 years later, he was voted the tournament's best player despite his moment of infamy in the match against England.

Immediately after the quarterfinal against England, Maradona was interviewed by media representatives from around the world. He was asked, ‘Wasn't your first goal handball?’ He replied that it was ‘un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios’(a little with the head of Maradona and another little with the hand of God).

Hand of God. The phrase has echoed down the years, but it was an ambiguous answer; certainly not an admission. The admission came many years later. In his autobiography, published in 2002, Maradona said, ‘It was the hand of Diego and it felt a little like pick-pocketing the English.’ Yet, although he has come clean about what happened, he has remained ambivalent about the act, appearing apologetic in some interviews given to English media but steadfastly defiant when talking for Argentine audiences about the incident.

There is no ambivalence in Argentina. La Mano de Dioscame only four years after Argentina had been at war with Britain in the Falklands and Maradona's compatriots were overjoyed by the football victory after defeat in battle. Argentina worships Maradona, not despite the fact that he scored with his hand against England, but because of it.

Scottish football fans revere Maradona for exactly the same reason: he put one over England. When Maradona became coach to the Argentine national team, his first game in charge (on 21 November 2008) was at Hampden Park against Scotland. The Daily Record newspaper created a logo for all their extensive coverage of the fixture. It read, ‘A big hand for Diego’. The newspaper also reported a terrace song. Gleefully sung to the tune of the Hokey Cokey, it went, ‘You put your left hand in and you shake it all about. You do the hokeycokey and you score a goal, that's what it's all about. Oh-ohh, Diego Maradona!’