When a set of six shirts worn by Lionel Messi comes up for auction at Sotheby’s in New York on Thursday, the shirt he wore during Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup final triumph over France is predicted to sell for a record-breaking $10 million (£8 million).
With 26 hours remaining until the bidding closes at 5:01 p.m. on Thursday, bids on Messi’s shirts had reached as high as $6.5 million by 3 p.m. GMT on Wednesday.
Should the lot draw bids beyond $10.1 million, it will surpass the $10.091 million that was paid for a Michael Jordan jersey during Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals, setting a new record for sports memorabilia prices.
If Messi’s jerseys fetch more than the £7,142,500 that was paid earlier this year for Diego Maradona’s shirt, which he wore when he scored twice, including the “hand of God” goal that eliminated England from the 1986 World Cup, they will become the most expensive football uniforms ever sold.
For the last thirty-five years, Maradona’s shirt has been owned by Steve Hodge, the England midfielder who inadvertently sent the ball to Maradona for the handball goal. At the conclusion of the game, the two players switched clothes. Sotheby’s also offered the Jordan and Maradona shirts for sale.
Two of Messi’s shirts from the group stage are included in the set. The quarterfinals, semifinals, final, and Round of 16 were all held with the other four on display.
Messi scored two goals in the championship game and finished the tournament with seven goals and three assists. As the second-highest scorer behind France’s Kylian Mbappé, he was awarded the silver boot and the golden ball for being the tournament’s finest player.
Messi states, “That was amazing,” in the catalogue that goes with the jerseys. That day, everything changed for me. We eventually achieved our long-awaited goal, which has been my career goal for a very long time. And at the very end, it did.
After winning 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona, four Champions League titles, the Copa América and Finalissima trophies with Argentina, and the World Cup trophy, Messi finally achieved the recognition he had been dreaming of. With seven Ballon d’Or awards, he was already the most decorated football player in history. Since then, he has gained another victory.
The shirts for sale were “worn through the first half of each respective match,” according to the brochure. To support children with rare diseases, the Leo Messi Foundation is partnering with Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s hospital to lead the Unicas project. An undisclosed portion of the project’s earnings will go toward this initiative.