BRAZIL LEGEND PELE’S 1958 WORLD CUP FINAL SHIRT SELLS FOR $4.9 MILLION
The iconic shirt worn by the legendary Brazilian footballer Pele during the 1958 World Cup final has fetched an astonishing $4.9 million at an auction, establishing itself as the most valuable memorabilia associated with the football great, as reported by Sotheby’s.
This historic number 10 shirt, donned by the then-17-year-old Pele, was worn during Brazil’s remarkable 5-2 victory over the host nation, Sweden, in Stockholm. The auction drew significant interest, attracting 10 bids from a competitive group of over five bidders, according to the details released by the auction house.
This sale not only highlights the shirt’s significance in the realm of sports memorabilia but also positions it as the second-most expensive football shirt ever sold at auction. This record is surpassed only by the staggering $9.3 million that was paid in 2022 for the shirt famously worn by Diego Maradona during his “Hand of God” goal for Argentina against England in the 1986 World Cup.
Pele, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 82, scored two goals in that 1958 final and remains the youngest player to ever score in a World Cup final. Notably, this shirt had previously changed hands at an auction in 2004, where it sold for 70,505 pounds, equivalent to around $105,600 as reported by Sotheby’s.
