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Sotheby’s to auction Pele jersey worn in 1958 World Cup

The jersey worn by late football legend Pele during Brazil’s 1958 World Cup victory will headline an auction set to coincide with this year’s tournament, Sotheby’s announced Tuesday.

Pele, then just 17 years old, scored two of Brazil’s five goals in the 1958 final against host nation Sweden.

The victory marked Brazil’s first of a record five World Cup titles, three of which were won under the man who would become known as “The King.”

Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, died in December 2022 at the age of 82 after being diagnosed with colon cancer.

Sotheby’s said in a press release that the Number 10 jersey is estimated to sell for over $6 million in the auction, which runs from June 29 to July 16 — three days before this year’s final match.

Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” jersey sold for $9.3 million in 2022, a record for sports-worn memorabilia that was broken several months later by Michael Jordan’s “Last Dance” Bulls jersey, which went for $10.1 million.

Pele gave his 1958 jersey to teammate and friend Dida, whose family held on to it for decades before it was placed in a museum and eventually auctioned off in 2004, according to Sotheby’s.

Other items up for auction in Sotheby’s special “The Beautiful Game” sale include an armband worn by Maradona during the 1986 “Hand of God” match and gear worn by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.

A public exhibit of the items will open July 1 at the Sotheby’s Breuer building in New York.

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