Pele's 1958 World Cup Jersey Sells For Millions

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NEW YORK: A historic blue jersey worn by Brazilian soccer icon Pele during the 1958 World Cup final sold for a staggering $4.9 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York on Thursday. The landmark sale has established a brand-new record for the most expensive piece of memorabilia associated with ‘The King.’

Pele was just 17 years old when he famously wore this jersey. During the highly celebrated 5-2 final victory over host nation Sweden in Stockholm, the teenage prodigy netted two spectacular goals to help secure Brazil's very first World Cup championship title.

The high-stakes bidding war involved five different buyers before the historic item was finally knocked down to an anonymous collector. The final sale price makes the jersey the second-most valuable soccer shirt in history, surpassed only by another South American icon.

The absolute world record for soccer memorabilia remains at $9.3 million. That fee was paid in 2022 for the Argentina shirt worn by Diego Maradona during his infamous 1986 "Hand of God" quarter-final match against England.