A shirt worn by Brazilian legend, Pelé, during the 1958 FIFA World Cup final has been sold for a staggering $4.9 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York.
The sale makes it the second most expensive football shirt ever auctioned, behind the Argentina jersey Diego Maradona wore when he scored the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England at the 1986 World Cup, which fetched £7.1m in 2022.
Pele’s iconic shirt attracted 10 bids from more than five bidders and is now the most valuable piece of his memorabilia ever sold at auction. The same shirt was previously sold for just $105,600, £70,505, in 2004.
The Brazilian great wore the shirt as a 17-year-old when he scored twice in a 5-2 victory over Sweden in the 1958 World Cup final, helping his country win its first World Cup title. He remains the youngest player ever to score in a World Cup final.
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“Today’s result is a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of one of the greatest footballers of all time,” said Brendan Hawkes, Sotheby’s head of sports strategy and development.
“This shirt is not only a lasting reminder of one of the most important moments in football history but is principally connected to the very moment that catapulted Pele into a global sporting icon.”
The auction, titled The Beautiful Game, also featured several other prized football collectables. Maradona’s captain’s armband from the 1986 World Cup, including the match in which he scored the ‘Hand of God’ goal against England, sold for $512,000, £380,000.
A Lionel Messi shirt from Barcelona’s famous 6-1 Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 fetched $217,600, £161,482, while David Beckham’s shirt from his 50th England appearance at the 2002 World Cup was sold for $51,200, £37,996.
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