Pelé's 1958 World Cup Final Jersey to Fetch Astronomical Sum at Auction

The sports memorabilia market is abuzz with the upcoming auction of a legendary piece of football history: the jersey worn by Pelé during Brazil's triumphant 1958 World Cup final. Sotheby's will present the iconic blue shirt, bearing the number 10, to the highest bidder in New York this July.

With an estimated value of around $6 million, the garment is poised to become the most expensive item ever associated with Pelé's career. Sotheby's described the shirt as more than just apparel, calling it "the garment worn by one of the greatest footballers in history the night his reign began." The piece has been carefully preserved for over six decades after Pelé gifted it to a friend.

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This is not a simple jersey, it is the garment worn by one of the greatest footballers in history the night his reign began, which he handed over with his own hands to a friend and has been preserved with care for more than six decades.

Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's Head of Collectibles, emphasized the jersey's unparalleled historical significance in the global football collecting market. He noted its inseparability from the legacy of the sport's first truly global icon. The 1958 final marked the emergence of the "King" of football, with a 17-year-old Pelé becoming the youngest player to score in a World Cup final, netting two goals in Brazil's victory over Sweden.

The jersey is the centerpiece of Sotheby's exclusive football memorabilia auction, "The Beautiful Game." Online bidding runs from June 29 to July 16, with public viewings at Sotheby's New York starting July 1. The auction also features a highly-rated 1958 Pelé rookie trading card, adding another significant item for collectors. The combined value could challenge the current record of $9.3 million set by Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" jersey in 2022.

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Its historical importance is unparalleled in the football memorabilia market and is inseparable from the legacy of the sport's first truly global icon.