Pelé's World Cup Final Jersey Sells for Nearly Five Million Dollars

The iconic number 10 jersey worn by global football legend Pelé in the 1958 World Cup final has fetched a staggering $4.9 million at auction, Sotheby's announced. Pelé, who passed away in 2022, was just 17 when he scored two goals in Brazil's 5-2 victory over host nation Sweden in the title decider, securing Brazil's first-ever World Cup.

The $4.9 million paid for Pelé's kit makes it the second most expensive jersey ever sold. The record is held by the Argentina shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored both the infamous "Hand of God" goal and the "Goal of the Century" against England. That jersey sold for $9.3 million in 2022.

Previously, the most expensive Pelé item ever sold was a trading card from that same 1958 season, valued at $976,000. Pelé's jersey from the final 68 years ago remained with the family of his friend and teammate Dida for decades, having been gifted to him after the match. In 1993, Dida's family donated the kit to a Brazilian museum. In 2004, it was acquired by a collector for just over $100,000, who has now resold it for nearly 50 times that price.