The shirt worn by Brazilian football legend Pele during the 1958 FIFA World Cup final has been sold for USD 4.9 million at a Sotheby's auction, making it the most valuable piece of memorabilia associated with the three-time World Cup winner. The iconic No. 10 jersey was worn by Pele when he scored twice in Brazil's 5-2 victory over Sweden, securing the country's first FIFA World Cup title.
According to Reuters, citing Sotheby's, the shirt attracted 10 bids from more than five bidders during the auction.
Second-most expensive football shirt ever sold
The sale made Pele's jersey the second-most expensive football shirt ever auctioned. It trails only Diego Maradona's Argentina shirt from the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against England, which sold for USD 9.3 million in 2022 after the match in which Maradona scored the famous "Hand of God" goal.
Sotheby's also noted that the same Pele shirt had previously been auctioned in 2004 for GBP 70,505.
