Pele's 1958 World Cup Jersey Fetches $4.9 Million

The jersey worn by Pele during the 1958 World Cup Final was sold for $4.9 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York, marking it as the second most valuable football jersey ever sold, following Diego Maradona's jersey from the 1986 World Cup, which sold for $7.1 million in 2022. The auction attracted a total of 10 bids from five bidders.

Previously, Pele's shirt was sold in 2004 for $105,600. At just 17 years old, Pele scored twice against Sweden in the 1958 final, leading Brazil to its first World Cup victory and becoming the youngest player to score in a World Cup final.

Brendan Hawk, Sotheby's head of sports strategy, noted that the sale reflects the enduring legacy of Pele as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Other notable items sold at the auction included Maradona's captain's armband from the 1986 World Cup, which fetched $512,000, and Lionel Messi's shirt from Barcelona's 2017 Champions League comeback, sold for $217,600.