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Would You Pay $6 Million for This Famous Jersey? Here’s What Has Sports Fans Salivating Right Now

Sports memorabilia is big business. Can you think of another market where someone’s sweaty old gym shorts could fetch thousands, even millions, of dollars? It happens all the time, and now there’s news of another big-ticket item that’s hitting the auction block. Nope, it’s not an Air Jordan sneaker or an NFL star’s Super Bowl ring. This piece of sports history is even bigger.

What’s up for sale this month is a jersey that belonged to an absolute legend—not just of his game, but of all sports and all time. When I was a kid, my buddy had a poster of him on his bedroom wall. As an athlete myself (albeit a little lacking in the discipline, let alone talent, to make it to the bigs), I looked at it all the time, wondering how someone so young could be such a huge star.

Who is this mystery person, what did he accomplish and why is his jersey expected to fetch that astronomical price at auction? Read on to find out all the details, and get that checkbook out—this one’s going to sell fast.

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Which jersey is heading to the auction block?

It’s Pelé’s 1958 World Cup final jersey, which the 17-year-old Brazilian soccer phenom wore during a thrilling match against Sweden. He scored two goals in the match and still holds the record for the youngest player to compete and score in a World Cup final.

Pelé, whose given name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, also holds the record for the most goals scored by a footballer in his career. Between 1956 and 1977, Pelé scored 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, according to Guinness World Records. And the 1958 Brazil-Sweden match was one for the ages.

After the final, the beloved soccer star gave the jersey to his teammate, Edvaldo Alves Santa Rosa (known as Dida), whose family held on to it until 1993, when they donated it to a museum. The museum sold it in 2004 for just $105,000, so the estimated auction price of $6 million is quite the upgrade for the famous jersey!

Will this be the highest-priced soccer item ever sold?

Not just yet. The record for the highest-priced piece of soccer memorabilia goes to another blue jersey, this one worn by Argentina’s Diego Maradona in a 1986 World Cup quarter-final. Called the “Hand of God” shirt because Maradona was accused (rightly) by England of using his hand to score the first of his two goals during that game, the legendary jersey sold for nearly $9 million in 2022.

But Pelé’s 1958 World Cup final jersey could give Maradona’s a run for its money. World Cup fever is high right now, and other Pelé memorabilia routinely sells in the millions of dollars. One of his 1958 trading cards sold in 2022 for $1.33 million, and an auction lot of 2,000 Pelé items sold in 2016 for more than $4 million.

How does this compare to other sports memorabilia?

Pelé and Maradona are bona fide soccer legends, but so far, no piece of sports memorabilia has come close to the current record holder: Babe Ruth’s famous “Called Shot” jersey that he wore in the 1932 World Series. That sold in 2024 for an unbelievable $24 million.

Next on the most-expensive list is Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 jersey, which sold for more than $10 million in 2022. The iconic red and black Chicago Bulls kit is known as the “Last Dance” jersey because it was featured heavily in an ESPN documentary of the same name.

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s famous “Rumble in the Jungle” championship belt, which he won for besting George Foreman in a 1974 fight in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, also sold in 2022 for $6.2 million. This bout was a major comeback for Ali, who had previously been barred from boxing for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War.

If you have a cool $6 million, how can you get your hands on Pelé’s jersey?

Sure, it’s possible you have $6 million lying around, and we are here to help you spend it. Sotheby’s will be holding the auction for this iconic jersey; bidding starts on June 29 and ends on July 16, three days before the 2026 World Cup final. If you’re in the market for a piece of sports history (of course you are!), you can register to bid at Sotheby’s. But be aware: You’ll have to prove you have the financial means to bid, so have that bank account information ready.

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Sources:

  • New York Times: “Pelé’s 1958 World Cup final shirt going to auction with estimated value over $6 million”
  • Sotheby’s: “Pele 1958 FIFA World Cup Final Championship Clinching Match Worn Shirt | Two Goals | Brazil’s First World Cup Championship”
  • Guinness World Records: “Most expensive football (soccer) shirt sold at auction”
  • Guinness World Records: “Most career goals (football)”
  • FIFA: “Maradona, England and The Hand of God”
  • CNN: “Muhammad Ali’s WBC ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ belt bought for $6.18 million by Indianapolis Colts owner”
  • Cllct: “Top 10 most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia ever sold”

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