Pelé’s 1958 World Cup Final Match-Worn Shirt Could Fetch Over $6M


Soccer fans, this one’s for you.

Ahead of this year’s World Cup, Pelé’s 1958 World Cup Final shirt is heading to auction, in what could become one of the most valuable items of memorabilia from the famed player to hit the block. The soccer star wore the memento while scoring both of his goals in the match, leading Brazil to a 5-2 victory over Sweden that notched its first World Cup win in the history books.

The ultra-coveted shirt is expected to fetch over $6 million when it goes under the hammer via Sotheby’s, a sky-high figure that only points to the memorabilia’s importance. Pelé, whose real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was just 19 years old when he stepped on the pitch at the 1958 World Cup Final in Sweden. He made his mark on the team’s journey with a goal against Wales in the quarterfinals and a hat-trick against France in the semis. And his first goal in the final had a bit of flair involved, too, as he flicked the ball over a defender before volleying it into the net.

Pelé is still the youngest player to ever score in a World Cup Final.

Sotheby’s

The soccer phenom, with No. 10 on his back, is still the youngest player ever to score in a World Cup game. Both his goals, and leading his home country to its first World Cup victory, cemented him in soccer history and show where his legacy as a soccer legend got its start.

And the memento itself, besides all its in-game significance, has a fun historical tidbit to it, too. A clash with Sweden’s own colors caused Brazil to pivot from their usual yellow color, resulting in a last-minute decision to switch to the striking blue hue of the current shirt. Before the big game, the Brazilian players themselves actually cut material from yellow equipment bags for their numbers, and they transferred the CBD badges, too.

“This is not merely a shirt—it is the garment worn by one of the greatest footballers in history on the night his reign began, passed by his own hand to a friend and preserved with care for more than six decades,” Brahm Wachter, head of Sotheby’s Modern Collectables, said in a press statement. “Its historical importance is without parallel in the football memorabilia market and is inseparable from the legacy of the sport’s first true global icon.”

The back of Pelé 1958 World Cup Final shirt

Sotheby’s

After the famed match, Pelé gave his shirt to his teammate, Dida, whose family kept the piece in their possession for decades. It was then put up for auction in 2004, where it hammered down for $105,600, making it the most expensive Pelé-related item to hit the block—until, at least, it comes to auction once again in this summer.

The shirt’s massive estimate shows just how much the world of sports memorabilia has exploded over the last couple decades. The Pelé memento may even surpass the current record holder for a game-worn piece of soccer memorabilia. That title currently is held by Diego Maradona’s Hand of God shirt, which hammered down for a cool $9.3 million in 2022.

Pelé’s historic piece will be on display at Sotheby’s Breur building from July 1, which just so happens to be when some World Cup games will be held across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. It’s a good time to be a soccer fan, then.





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