NEW YORK.- A t-shirt that Pele used during the first final of the World Cup who won Brazil in 1958 it will be briefly exhibited to the public before its auction in New Yorkannounced on Tuesday Sotheby’s.
At only 17 years old, who would later be nicknamed the “King”, he scored two of the five goals with which the Seleção beat 5-2 Swedenthe host country. He also became the youngest player to play and score in a World Cup final, a milestone that still stands.
Sotheby’s will display the shirt with the number 10 on the occasion of the North America World Cup 2026 which will be held from June 11 to July 19 in USA, Mexico and Canada.
The piece can be seen starting July 1 at the auction house’s new headquarters, the Breuer Buildingin manhattan. The sale will open to bidding from June 29 to July 16.
Valued at more than six million dollars, this garment could become one of the most expensive in football history, after the record sale in 2022 of the “Hand of God” shirt for $9.3 million.
That was the shirt that Diego Armando Maradona used on June 22, 1986 in Mexico Cityduring the legendary quarterfinal match against England. So, Argentina They won 2-1 thanks to two legendary goals from the player, one of them with his hand, validated by the referee.
History of the t-shirt
In a statement, Sotheby’s says that Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelehad given the 1958 final shirt to his teammate and friend Dida.
Dida’s familyEdvaldo Alves Santa Rosa) kept the garment for decades in Maceióin the east of Brazil. In 1993 he donated it to a museum, which auctioned it in 2004, when its current owner bought it.
“The Beautiful Game,” the auction organized by Sotheby’s to celebrate significant objects from soccer history, also includes the bracelet that Maradona wore in the famous “Hand of God” quarterfinal game and objects that the Argentine star Lionel Messi used during matches.
