Pelé's 1958 World Cup Jersey Sells for Nearly $5 Million in Record Auction
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Pelé's 1958 World Cup final jersey sold for about $4.9 million at Sotheby's in New York, becoming the second most expensive football shirt ever sold. The jersey was worn when Pelé led Brazil to its first World Cup victory at age 17. The buyer remains anonymous, with speculation pointing to Qatar's Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Pelé's 1958 World Cup final jersey sold for nearly $4.9 million at Sotheby's auction.
- The jersey was worn during Brazil's first World Cup win when Pelé scored twice against Sweden.
- The shirt was gifted to teammate Didi and kept by his family for decades before auction.
- The buyer of the jersey remains anonymous after ten bids from five contenders.
- Diego Maradona's 1986 World Cup jersey holds the record at $9.3 million.
- Experts speculate Qatar's Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani may be the buyer, unconfirmed.
A historic jersey worn by Brazilian football legend Pelé during the 1958 World Cup final sold for approximately $4.9 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York, marking the second highest price ever paid for a football shirt. Pelé wore the jersey when he scored twice against Sweden, securing Brazil's first-ever World Cup title at just 17 years old. The shirt was originally gifted by Pelé to his teammate Didi and remained in Didi's family for decades before being displayed in a museum and eventually auctioned. After ten bids from five contenders, the jersey was sold to an anonymous buyer. The record for the most expensive football shirt remains with Diego Maradona's 1986 World Cup jersey, which sold for $9.3 million. According to a July 2026 report by El País, experts speculate that the buyer of Pelé's jersey might be Qatar's Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, though this has not been officially confirmed.
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