A world record was broken in March 2002 at a London auction when a shirt worn by one of the greatest footballers ever was sold for over £150,000
If Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi sold their match-worn shirts now, how much would they be bought for?
Here’s what you need to know about the most expensive football shirt ever sold.
What is the most expensive football shirt of all-time?
The priciest football shirt ever sold is the No. 10 shirt worn by Brazil legend Pele during the 1970 World Cup final, which was bought at Christie’s, London on March 27, 2002 for £157,750 ($225,109).
Pele had scored the first goal of the final against Italy in the 18th minute, which ended in a 4-1 victory that ultimately crowned Brazil world champions.
Gerson, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto rounded out the scoring for the Selecao, though Roberto Boninsegna equalised in the 37th minute to cancel out Pele’s opener.
The shirt was sold by former Italy international Roberto Rosarto, who played in the final and exchanged shirts with Pele.
It was sold for three times the expected price.
The buying price was originally estimated to fall between £30,000 and £50,000, but the bidding process was rapid and the final amount sold obviously stretched well beyond expectations.
The legendary No. 10’s shirt was purchased by an anonymous buyer via telephone.
Pele scored four goals in the 1970 World Cup tournament, and is regarded as one of the greatest players to have ever graced a football pitch.
The Brazil talisman is a three-time World Cup winner, lifting his first trophy in 1958. He remains his country’s all-time top goalscorer, netting 77 goals in 92 games.
He spent the first 18 seasons of his career at Brazilian side Santos, netting 619 goals in 638 league appearances. He lifted six Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A titles and two Copa Libertadores trophies before transferring to New York Cosmos in 1975, where he finished his playing career two years later.
The former most expensive shirt in the world was England international Sir Geoff Hurst’s shirt worn during the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany, sold for £91,750 in September 2000.
Hurst scored a hat-trick in the 4-2 victory that saw the Three Lions win the World Cup for the first time.
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