The auction prices for sports, specifically football memorability, are soaring. Case in point: Six of Lionel Messi’s jerseys worn at the 2022 World Cup are auctioning for record prices at Sotheby’s.
Buyers have until December 14 to outbid the initial offer of $5.2 million on the set of kits. The Luxury Week exhibition at Sotheby’s New York displays the shirts from December 1 to the December 14 auction.
Messi famously led the Albiceleste to their second World Cup triumph, further cementing his triumph at the 2023 Ballon d’Or, a record-setting eighth.
Messi’s game-worn World Cup kits reach astronomical value
Included in the Adidas medium-sized kits collection (yes, the 5’7 Messi wears a medium) are two from the group stage and one piece from the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.
Last November, the shirt worn by Diego Maradona during the iconic “Hand of God” goal fetched $9.3 million at a London auction. It smashed the record for the most expensive game-worn jersey in history.
We expect the final bid for Messi’s kits to break Maradona’s record, achieving a price as high as $11 million. Messi’s game-worn jersey in the World Cup finals alone is worth as much.
Who will get their hands on these exclusive items?
Photo: Twitter/asli_pelit
