A jersey worn by Brazilian icon Pele at the 1958 World Cup is expected to fetch more than $6 million at auction.
A 17-year-old Pele donned the blue, short-sleeved shirt during Brazil’s 5-2 win in the final against host Sweden at Rasunda Stadium near Stockholm.
Sotheby’s announced Tuesday that the match-worn, No. 10 jersey will be featured in an online auction from June 29 to July 16.
“This is not merely a shirt — it is the garment worn by one of the greatest footballers in history on the night his reign began,” Brahm Wachter, head of Sotheby’s modern collectibles, said in a statement.
With an estimated value of more than $6 million, The Athletic reported it would become the most valuable piece of memorabilia belonging to the only man to win the World Cup trophy three times (1958, 1962 and 1970).
The current record for the highest price paid for a soccer jersey was the $9.28 million spent on a Diego Maradona jersey in 2022.
Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, scored two goals against Sweden in his first World Cup final. He remains the youngest player to score in a World Cup championship match. The 1958 win was also the first of a record five World Cup titles for Brazil.
Pele, who passed away in 2022 at age 82, gave the 1958 jersey to his roommate and teammate, Dida, following the final. After decades with Dida’s family, it was in a Brazilian museum before being acquired by an anonymous owner in 2004.
–Field Level Media
