A shirt worn by Pelé in the 1958 World Cup final sold at Sotheby’s on Thursday for $4.9 million, making it the most valuable piece of memorabilia associated with the Brazilian icon.
The number 10 jersey was on Pelé’s back when he was just 17 years old, scoring twice as Brazil defeated Sweden 5-2 in Stockholm to claim their first World Cup title. Sotheby’s said the lot attracted ten bids from more than five competing buyers.
The sale places the shirt second on the all-time list of the most expensive football jerseys sold at auction, behind Diego Maradona’s 1986 World Cup shirt — the one he wore when he scored the infamous “Hand of God” goal against England — which fetched $9.3 million in 2022.
Pelé, who died in 2022 at the age of 82, remains the youngest player ever to score in a World Cup final. His two goals in the 1958 final are among the defining moments of the sport’s history.
The shirt had previously come to market in 2004, when it sold for £70,505, equivalent to $105,600 at the time, according to Sotheby’s.
