Pelé's legendary jersey from the 1958 World Cup final is set to go up for auction
The legendary blue No. 10 jersey worn by Brazilian soccer player Pelé in the 1958 World Cup final is set to go up for auction in New York. Experts predict that this unique sports artifact could fetch more than $6 million.
According to estimates by Sotheby’s auction house, the jersey has every chance of becoming one of the most expensive items in soccer history sold at auction.
By comparison, Diego Maradona’s jersey from the 1986 World Cup match against England, where he scored the famous “Hand of God” goal, sold for $9.3 million, while a set of six Lionel Messi jerseys from the 2022 World Cup sold for $7.8 million.
The lot’s historical significance gives it special value. In the 1958 World Cup final against the Sweden national football team, the future “King of Football,” Pelé, was only 17 years old.
In that match, the Brazilian national team defeated the tournament hosts 5–2, with the young forward scoring two goals. It was this very match that brought Brazil its first-ever World Cup title.
In total, Pelé scored six goals in four matches at that World Cup and went down in history as the youngest player to play and score in a World Cup final.
For a long time, the jersey was kept in Pelé’s family. In 1993, it was donated to the Edvaldo Alves Santa Rosa Brazilian Sports Museum.
The jersey was first put up for sale in 2004 in London, where it was purchased for 59,000 pounds.
Over the past two decades, the market for sports memorabilia has grown significantly, so the artifact’s current value could be nearly 100 times higher.
Before the auction, the legendary jersey will be displayed to the general public. Visitors will be able to see it starting July 1 at Sotheby’s new headquarters in Manhattan during the 2026 World Cup.
The auction itself will conclude on July 16, and then we will know whether Pelé’s jersey will set a new record among soccer memorabilia.
This was reported by The Guardian.
An adjective honoring the legendary soccer player Pelé has been added to the Brazilian dictionary. The word “Pelé” can now be used in Brazil to describe a person who is incomparable, exceptional, or unique.
On January 2, a farewell ceremony for the legendary soccer player Pelé took place in Brazil. Fans lined up early in the morning outside the Vila Belmiro stadium to say goodbye to the “King of Football.”
And recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino found himself embroiled in a scandal over a selfie taken next to the coffin of the late “King of Football.”
