An unnamed bidder made history by acquiring soccer icon Lionel Messi’s six historic 2022 Fifa World Cup jerseys for a staggering £7.8 million, as confirmed by auction house Sotheby’s on Thursday.
Worn by Messi during the initial half of Argentina’s crucial matches in last year’s World Cup in Qatar, these jerseys played a pivotal role in the team’s journey to winning the World Cup final against France. Messi’s exceptional performance, scoring two of Argentina’s three goals, solidified his place as one of the greatest players in the sport.
Sotheby’s reported that the final auction price for these iconic shirts marked the highest value achieved for a piece of sports memorabilia this year. Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles, underscored the historical significance of the jerseys, describing them as a tangible reminder of a pivotal moment in sports history and intrinsically linked to the zenith of Messi’s illustrious career.
The two-week online auction took place at Sotheby’s New York headquarters, and a portion of the proceeds will be directed to the UNICAS Project. This initiative, backed by the Leo Messi Foundation, aims to support children affected by rare diseases through the Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital.
Messi, currently playing for Inter Miami in the MLS, boasts a remarkable career, spending 17 years at Barcelona and winning the Ballon d’Or eight times. While there were expectations that the Messi jerseys might set a new auction record for sports memorabilia worn during a game, the existing record remains held by Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which fetched $10.1 million at Sotheby’s in New York last year.
