With the 2026 World Cup drawing closer, a piece of football history is set to go under the hammer: a match-worn shirt associated with one of the sport’s most revered figures.
Late great Pele’s No. 10 jersey from the 1958 World Cup final will be available through an online auction running from June 29 to July 16, as Sotheby’s announced.
In a statement, Brahm Wachter, head of Sotheby’s modern collectibles, said the kit is “the garment worn by one of the greatest footballers in history on the night his reign began.”
The shirt is the one Pele wore in his first World Cup final appearance. Edson Arantes do Nascimento—better known as Pele—was just 17 when he scored twice in Brazil’s 5-2 victory over the hosts, Sweden, at Rasunda Stadium in Stockholm. He still holds the record as the youngest player to find the net in a World Cup final.
Pele, who passed away at the age of 82 in December 2022 after battling colon cancer, handed the handmade top to his roommate and fellow teammate, Dida, following the final. The jersey stayed with Dida’s family for decades, later being placed in a Brazilian museum before it was purchased by its current, unnamed owner in 2004.
The estimated value is listed at $6 million, a figure that would represent a record for football memorabilia tied to the only man to lift the sport’s top prize three times.
For many supporters and players, Pele’s opening strike in that final is remembered as one of the World Cup’s finest goals. He brought the ball under control with his chest, nudged it over a Swedish defender, and finished. His second contribution came late in the match, arriving from a header.
Pele would later add a third World Cup crown in 1970 in Mexico—one of the three host countries for this year’s tournament, alongside the United States and Canada. The same Azteca Stadium that celebrated his triumph will stage the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, with Mexico scheduled to face South Africa.
Bidding will be accompanied by a public display: an exhibition at Sotheby’s Breuer location in New York begins on July 1 and runs as part of the auction lead-up.
