Six of the iconic jerseys worn by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi during the 2022 World Cup were sold for $7.8 million at an auction.
“These historic shirts are not only a tangible reminder of one of the most important moments in the history of sports but are principally connected to the pinnacle moment in the career of the most decorated football player in history,” auction house Sotheby’s head of modern collectables Brahm Wachter said.
The collection included the famed No.10 jersey worn by Messi during the World Cup final where Argentina defeated France on penalties to win the title for the third time.
This makes it the third most valuable jersey sold at an auction behind Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which sold for a record $10.1 million in 2022 and Diego Maradona’s legendary “Hand of God” goal jersey which he wore during the 1986 World Cup which was sold for $9.28 million in May 2022.
In the 2022 World Cup, Messi scored seven goals and made three assists to win the Golden Ball award, the only player to win it twice and earlier this month he opened up about his feelings before and after winning the elusive trophy.
“It is the thing most everyone desires. Everyone dreams big and the biggest is to be world champion with your national team. I was lucky to achieve everything at the club level with Barcelona and also at the individual level. This was the only thing that eluded me. There are very few players who can say that they have achieved everything and thanks to God I am one of them,” Messi had said.
“If you put in the effort, sacrifice, work and humility, in the end, you achieve your goals,” he added. “The road can be hard, but you have to keep fighting for your dreams to try to achieve them. I always loved playing football, coming to the national team and being on the field, but I never enjoyed it like today,” he had added.
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