3D Expertise Serving History: Maradona’s Lost Ballon d’Or Resurfaces
While the honorary Ballon d’Or awarded to Maradona in 1995 is now officially recognized, history has largely forgotten that El Pibe de Oro had already received another one in 1986. Less prestigious but branded by France Football, this trophy was intended for the best player of the World Cup. Stolen shortly after its official presentation, it resurfaced 35 years later — and nüme helped authenticate it. It will go up for auction in early June in Paris, with an estimated value exceeding 12 million euros.
To guarantee its authenticity, nüme scanned the original 1986 negative and compared the details with recent images of the trophy. Two key elements confirmed its identity: a unique misalignment in the Aztec patterns and a blister on a black edge — two manufacturing flaws that are impossible to replicate.
nüme’s technology thus played a decisive role in authenticating this sports treasure, providing tangible proof and paving the way for a new era in the authentication of collectible items.