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A shirt worn by Brazilian football legend Pele during the 1958 World Cup final has been sold for $4.9 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York.
While the price tag is eye-popping, it is now the second most valuable football jersey.
Football's most expensive jersey
Pele's shirt comes second to the Argentina shirt Diego Maradona wore when he scored the "Hand of God" goal against England at the 1986 World Cup.
Maradona's shirt went on to be sold for $9.3 million in 2022.
Auction of Pele's shirt at Sotheby's
Having received a total of 10 bids from over five bidders, Pele's shirt from the 1958 final is his most valuable item of memorabilia ever sold at auction, selling for $4.9 million.
The said shirt was sold in 2004 for $105,600.
About the 1958 World Cup final
Pele, who passed away in 2022, scored twice against Sweden as a 17-year-old in the 1958 World Cup final to win the first of his three World Cups.
He still holds the record for the youngest player to score in a World Cup final.
'Greatest footballers of all time'
"Today's result is a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of one of the greatest footballers of all time," said Brendan Hawkes, Sotheby's head of sports strategy and development.
He added, "This shirt is not only a lasting reminder of one of the most important moments in football history, but is principally connected to the very moment that catapulted Pele into a global sporting icon."
Other items sold in "The Beautiful Game" auction on Thursday, July 16, included the captain's armband worn by Maradona during the 1986 World Cup, which sold for $512,000.
A shirt worn by Lionel Messi during Barcelona's dramatic 6–1 comeback victory over Paris St-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2017 was sold for $217,600, while David Beckham's shirt from his 50th England cap at the 2002 World Cup went for $51,200.
Notably, the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain is scheduled for Sunday, July 19.
