Pelé's 1958 World Cup Final Jersey Sells for $4.9 Million, Sets Record

The jersey worn by Pelé during the 1958 World Cup final, where he scored twice, was sold at auction for $4.9 million, making it the most expensive Pelé-related memorabilia ever sold, Sotheby's announced on Thursday. The number 10 jersey, worn by the 17-year-old Pelé in Brazil's 5-2 victory over host Sweden in Stockholm, secured Brazil's first World Cup title and attracted ten bids during the auction.

This sale makes the jersey the second most expensive football shirt ever sold at auction, behind Diego Maradona's 1986 World Cup jersey worn during the match against England, which featured the famous "Hand of God" goal and his celebrated solo effort. Maradona's jersey sold for $9.3 million in 2022.

Pelé, who passed away in 2022 at age 82, remains the youngest player to score in a World Cup final. Sotheby's noted that the same jersey was previously auctioned in 2004 for £70,505 (approximately $105,600 at the time).