Pelé's jersey worn during 1958 World Cup final going up for auction with estimated value of over $6 million
The jersey worn by Brazil great Pelé during the 1958 World Cup final will be auctioned off during the upcoming tournament, Sotheby's announced.
"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," said head of Sotheby's modern collectables Brahm Wachter in a 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."
Pelé was 17 years old when he scored six goals during the 1958 World Cup, which ended with Brazil winning its first world title. In the final, Pelé scored twice during a 5-2 win over Sweden.
Following the match, Pelé, who died in 2022, gifted the No. 10 jersey to Dida, his World Cup teammate. In 1993, it was donated to the Museum of Sport in Brazil before it was auctioned off by Christie's Auction in 2004 for $105,000.
Now it will be back up for bid from beginning June 29, the 68th anniversary of the 1958 final, through July 16, three days before the 2026 final.
Estimates have the jersey valued at more than $6 million, which would fall several million short of the $9.28 million that Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" jersey from the 1986 World Cup sold for in 2022, which was also through Sotheby's.
