Lionell Messi world cup jerseys sold at a $7.8 million at a New York Auction

New York, 

Thursday, 14 December, 2023 

McCreadie Andias 

A set of six shirts worn by Lionel Messi during Argentina’s World Cup title run last year sold for $7.8 million at New York auction on Thursday. 

New York's auction house Sotheby's reported that set of striped blue and white shirts—including one jersey worn during the World Cup’s final match—sold for $7.803 million.

The record fee made them the second-most valuable jerseys ever auctioned and the highest selling price ever for any Messi item, according to Sotheby’s.

The set includes six of the seven jerseys that Messi wore during the first half of Argentina’s World Cup matches last year, as the only missing jerseys are the first-half jersey from Argentina’s final group stage match against Poland and the jerseys worn during the second half, which were likely traded with opponents, according to Sotheby’s.

Sotheby’s had projected the jerseys would break a record held by Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which sold for a record $10.1 million last year.

The second most valuable jersey sold at auction was Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal jersey worn during the 1986 World Cup, which sold for $9.28 million in May 2022.

The previous record for the most valuable Messi item sold at auction was a jersey worn during Barcelona’s match with Real Madrid in 2017, according to ESPN.

Other spots items that have sold big on Auctions include a jersey worn by Babe Ruth between 1928 and 1930 sold for $5.64 million in June 2019. A 1982 Olympic Games manifesto sold for $8.8 million that same year. Earlier this year, a 2013 NBA Finals jersey worn by Lebron James and a jersey worn by Kobe Bryant during his MVP season sold for $3.6 million and $5.8 million, respectively.

Messi, 36, scored twice in Argentina’s win over France in the 2022 World Cup final winning the Golden ball also which earned him an eighth Ballon D'OR award. 

Messi currently plays for MLS based Inter Miami where he makes an annual salary of $20.4 million also enjoying a lifetime long deal with Addidas. 

According to Forces estimates, the Argentine is also the world’s second highest-paid athlete in with a net worth of $130 million. 

Leo Messi previously enjoyed great success in former European top clubs Barcelona and Paris St. Germain as part of his stellar 20-year professional football career.