A shirt worn by Brazilian football icon Pele during the 1958 World Cup final has sold for $4.9 million (£3.6 million) at a Sotheby's auction in New York. The sale marks the most valuable item of Pele's memorabilia ever sold at auction and places the jersey second only to the shirt worn by Diego Maradona during the infamous "Hand of God" goal in 1986, which sold for £7.1 million in 2022.
Received with 10 bids from over five interested parties, the 1958 shirt holds significant historical value. Pele, then just 17 years old, scored twice against Sweden in that final match, securing the first of his three World Cup titles. He remains the youngest player ever to score in a World Cup final. The shirt had previously sold in 2004 for $105,600 (£70,505).
Brendan Hawkes, Sotheby's head of sports strategy and development, remarked on the significance of the sale. "Today's result is a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of one of the greatest footballers of all time," Hawkes stated. "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 other notable football memorabilia. Diego Maradona's captain's armband from the 1986 World Cup sold for $512,000 (£380,000). Additionally, a shirt worn by Lionel Messi during Barcelona's 2017 Champions League victory against Paris Saint-Germain fetched $217,600 (£161,482), while David Beckham's shirt from his 50th England cap in the 2002 World Cup was sold for $51,200 dollars (£37,996).