Pele's 1958 FIFA World Cup Final Jersey Sold at Auction for 7.3 Billion Won

The jersey worn by the late football legend Pele (Brazil) during the 1958 FIFA World Cup final in Sweden has been sold at auction for 4.9 million dollars (approximately 7.3 billion won).

Reuters reported that "Pele's jersey was sold for 4.9 million dollars at a Sotheby's auction," adding that it "set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a piece of Pele memorabilia."

The jersey put up for auction was worn by Pele, then 17 years old, when Brazil defeated Sweden 5-2 in the 1958 World Cup final.

That victory marked Brazil's first-ever World Cup title.

Pele, who passed away in December 2022 at the age of 82, rose to global stardom after scoring two goals in that final match.

Pele remains the youngest player to ever play and score in a World Cup final.

Immediately after the final, Pele gifted the jersey to his teammate Dida. Dida's family kept the jersey for a long time before donating it to a sports museum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The museum later consigned the jersey to a Christie's auction in 2004, where it was sold for 105,600 dollars at the time.

According to Sotheby's, more than five bidders participated in the auction, and the jersey was sold after a total of 10 bids.

According to Reuters, this sale price ranks as the second most expensive football jersey ever sold.

The most expensive football jersey ever sold is the one worn by Diego Maradona when he scored the "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals, which was sold at an auction in 2022 for 9.28 million dollars (approximately 13.8 billion won).

Meanwhile, the captain's armband worn by Maradona during the 1986 World Cup was also featured in this Sotheby's auction and was sold for 512,000 dollars (approximately 760 million won).

(Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby's, AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.