The jersey worn by legendary Brazilian striker Pele in the 1958 World Cup final, where he scored a brace, has been sold at auction for $4.9 million.
Modern.az reports that, according to Sotheby's auction house, this jersey is the most expensive sports memorabilia related to Pele, known as the "King of Football," ever sold.
The jersey in question is the blue, number 10 jersey worn by 17-year-old Pele in the World Cup final held in Sweden. In that match, Brazil defeated host Sweden 5:2, winning their first World Cup title in history. Pele scored two goals, being one of the main contributors to his team's victory.
During the auction, 5 buyers competed for the jersey, and a total of 10 bids were made.
This sale makes Pele's jersey the second most expensive football jersey ever sold at auction in football history.
The record belongs to the jersey worn by Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup match against England, remembered for the famous "Hand of God" goal. That jersey was sold for $9.3 million in 2022.
Pele, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 82, not only scored two goals in the 1958 World Cup final but also holds the record for the youngest player to score in a World Cup final to this day.
Sotheby's states that the same jersey had been previously auctioned. It was sold in 2004 for 70,505 British Pounds (approximately $105,600 at the exchange rate of that time).
