Pele’s 1958 World Cup final shirt sold for £3.6 million

A shirt worn by Pele during the 1958 World Cup final has sold for $4.9m (£3.6m) at Sotheby’s in New York.

It is the second most valuable football jersey sold after Diego Maradona’s Argentina jersey when he scored the ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the 1986 World Cup – That went to £7.1 million in 2022.

Pele’s shirt from the 1958 final was the most valuable item of memorabilia sold at auction, receiving a total of 10 bids from more than five bidders.

This shirt sold for $105,600 (£70,505) in 2004.

Pele scored twice in the 1958 World Cup final against Sweden as a 17-year-old to win the first of his three World Cups.

He still holds the record as the youngest player to score in a World Cup final.

“Today’s result is a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of one of the greatest footballers of all time,” said Brendan Hawkes, head of sports strategy and development at Sotheby’s.

“Not only is this shirt a lasting reminder of one of the most important moments in football history, but it is essentially connected to the moment that made Pele a global sporting icon.”

Other items sold at ‘The Beautiful Game’ auction on Thursday included the captain’s armband worn by Maradona during the 1986 World Cup – where he scored the ‘Hand of God’ goal against England – which sold for $512,000 (£380,000).

A shirt worn by Lionel Messi during Barcelona’s dramatic 6-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2017 sold for $217,600 (£161,482), while David Beckham’s shirt from his 50th England Cup at the World Cup sold for $20,520. (£37,996).