The jersey worn by Brazilian football legend Pele during the 1958 FIFA World Cup final has been sold for $4.9 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York, making it the second most expensive football shirt ever sold.
Gatekeepers News reports that Pele was just 17 years old when Brazil faced hosts Sweden at Rasunda Stadium in Solna. The teenage forward scored twice as Brazil claimed a 5-2 victory to lift their first World Cup title.
Brazil wore blue jerseys for the historic final, and Pele’s match-worn shirt attracted intense bidding before an anonymous buyer secured it on Thursday, outbidding four other contenders.
The only football jersey to have sold for a higher price is the one worn by Argentine legend Diego Maradona during the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England, when he scored the infamous “Hand of God” goal. That shirt fetched $9.3 million at auction in 2022, making it the most expensive football jersey ever sold.
Pele’s 1958 final jersey had previously sold for just $105,600 in 2004, highlighting its dramatic increase in value over the past two decades.
The Sotheby’s auction also featured several other notable pieces of football memorabilia.
Maradona’s captain’s armband from the 1986 World Cup—including the match against England—was sold for $512,000.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s Barcelona jersey from the club’s remarkable 6-1 comeback victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 in 2017 fetched $217,600.
A shirt worn by David Beckham during his 50th appearance for England at the 2002 FIFA World Cup was also sold, attracting a winning bid of $51,200.
