As the World Cup approaches, Sotheby’s is set to auction Pele’s jersey

SAO PAULO (AP) — As soccer fans prepare for the World Cup, a jersey worn by one of the sport’s most iconic players is heading to auction.

The late Pelé’s match-worn, number 10 shirt from the 1958 World Cup final will be up for an online auction between June 29 and July 16, Sotheby’s said Tuesday.

“This is the garment worn by one of the greatest footballers in history on the night his reign began,” Brahm Wachter, head of Sotheby’s modern collectables, said in a statement.

The jersey is the one Pelé wore in his first World Cup final. Edson Arantes do Nascimento — aka Pelé — was 17 years old when he scored twice in Brazil’s 5-2 win against hosts Sweden at the Rasunda Stadium in Stockholm. He remains the youngest player ever to score in a World Cup final.

Pelé, who died at age 82 in December 2022 of colon cancer, gifted the handmade shirt after the final to his roommate and teammate, Dida. It remained with Dida’s family for decades before being housed in a Brazilian museum and eventually acquired by its current owner, who remains anonymous, in 2004.

The Brazilian legend’s first goal in that final was one of the World Cup’s best ever, according to fans and players alike. He controlled the ball with his chest, flicked it over a Swedish defender, and scored. The second came near the end of the match with a header.

Pelé went on to win his third World Cup title in 1970 in Mexico, one of the three hosts of the tournament with the United States and Canada. The same Azteca Stadium that saw him as a champion back then will host the opening game of this year’s World Cup, with Mexico taking on South Africa.

The auction period also includes a public exhibition starting July 1 at Sotheby’s Breuer building in New York.

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