Shilton: I’ve ‘put the beef to bed’ with Maradona over Hand of God

Peter Shilton has said he has finally “put the beef to bed” over Diego Maradona’s infamous Hand of God goal, speaking on the eve of England’s return to the Azteca Stadium for their World Cup 2026 last-16 tie with Mexico.

Shilton was England’s captain and goalkeeper on that same pitch in 1986, when Maradona scored twice in a 2-1 Argentina win in front of 115,000 spectators. His first goal, later dubbed the Hand of God, saw the Argentine clearly punch the ball past Shilton, a decision that went unpunished by the officials on the day.

Maradona followed that controversial moment eight minutes later with what became known as the “goal of the century”, weaving past several England defenders before slotting home. The result ended England’s involvement in that year’s tournament and has remained one of football’s most debated moments ever since.

A trip to Buenos Aires changed his perspective

In an interview with The Telegraph ahead of England’s return to the famous venue, Shilton explained that a visit to Argentina in recent years had helped him move past decades of frustration.

“I’m not going to mention names,” Shilton said. “I’ve put the beef to bed because it’s 40 years now and it’s ironic with this game being at the Azteca. I’ve been holding a bit of a beef for many years. I’ve been over to Buenos Aires in recent years and the people over there were fantastic towards me. They were brilliant to me. Inside, I thought it’s time to put the beef to bed… obviously Maradona’s no longer with us.”

Despite that reconciliation, Shilton remains firm on his version of events from that day. “I was second best going for the ball because he got in the first run,” he recalled. “So, as a goalkeeper, you’ve got to get the ball if you decide to go. And I was getting the ball. That’s why Maradona punched it in. He would have headed it otherwise. It’s as simple as that.”

He added: “Everyone in the stadium saw the handball except the referee and linesman. But it’s left a lot of people, who don’t judge the situation, making comments. You can’t win. I know the truth.”

Concerns over altitude for the current squad

Shilton also expressed concern for Thomas Tuchel’s England side, who face Mexico at altitude with far less preparation time than his own generation had in 1986.

“I fear a little bit for England because we had a month in Colorado with the heat and altitude to get acclimatised in 1986,” he said. “It takes that long and England are going straight in. They’re not going to be able to adjust to the altitude, and obviously the heat’s going to be a problem as well.”

He remained optimistic about the atmosphere the tie would generate, however. “I know the England fans will make a lot of noise but obviously there’ll be more Mexican fans. It brings a lump to your throat to see how much it means. And if they do beat Mexico, then we’ve got to start believing that we’ve got a great chance.”

Read more: England return to Azteca Stadium after 40 years for Mexico World Cup last 16 clash