Six jerseys worn by soccer maestro Lionel Messi during Argentina’s victorious stint in the 2022 FIFA World Cup have been sold for a whopping ₹65 crore at a Sotheby’s auction. The final bid, totalling $7.8 million, marks the highest price achieved for sports memorabilia this year, according to Sotheby’s. Each jersey holds historic significance, having been worn by Messi in the first half of various games during Argentina’s triumphant World Cup campaign in Qatar.
Argentina secured the championship by defeating France in a thrilling penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw in the final, clinching its third World Cup title. The victory, where Messi contributed two of Argentina’s three goals, stands as a defining moment in the career of one of football’s all-time greats. Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectables, described the shirts as tangible reminders of a pivotal moment in sports history, intimately connected to Messi’s illustrious career.
Displayed at Sotheby’s New York headquarters during a two-week online auction that concluded on Thursday, the jerseys attracted considerable attention. Although details about the winning bidder remain undisclosed, a portion of the auction proceeds will be dedicated to the UNICAS Project. Led by Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital and supported by the Leo Messi Foundation, the initiative aims to aid children suffering from rare diseases.
Lionel Messi, currently plying his trade for Inter Miami in the MLS, boasts a storied 17-year career at Barcelona and has clinched the Ballon d’Or a record eight times. While Sotheby’s had anticipated the Messi jerseys might set an auction record for game-worn sports memorabilia, they fell short of surpassing Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey. The latter remains the reigning champion with a record-setting sale of $10.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York last year.
😨😱😳 The bidding war for six of Lionel Messi’s World Cup match-worn jerseys has commenced and will run until December 14, with an initial bid already reaching $5.2 million. pic.twitter.com/UTyPhVQ0va
— Leo Messi 🔟 Fan Club (@WeAreMessi) November 30, 2023