An auction is scheduled to take place for six of Lionel Messi’s World Cup-winning shirts.
The 36-year-old captain, Messi, accepted the trophy after his team defeated France in the December final in Qatar on penalties.
Included in the collection is his final garment, which is anticipated to bring in over £8 million at the Sotheby’s auction in New York.
Lionel Messi: Six of Argentina captain’s shirts from Qatar World Cup triumph to be sold at auction
Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ jersey set a record for the most expensive game-used football shirt when it sold for £7.1 million in 2022.
The sale of Messi’s six shirts “stands as a monumental occasion in auction history,” according to Brahm Wachter, head of Sotheby’s modern collectibles division.
“The 2022 FIFA World Cup stands as one of the greatest events in sports history, intrinsically connected to the player’s valiant journey and firmly establishing his status as the greatest player of all time,” Wachter stated.
Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, made World Cup history by being the first player to score in every single tournament group stage, last-16, quarterfinal, semi-final, and final.
Wachter went on to say: “It is an honour for Sotheby’s to present and exhibit these invaluable collectables to the public, which encapsulate the sheer brilliance of a player who has redefined the boundaries of football excellence.”
Between November 30 and December 14, there will be a free public exhibition of Messi’s jerseys at Sotheby’s New York headquarters during the bidding process.
Messi was present in every Argentina World Cup game in 2022, but only two of the three shirts he wore in the group stage will be up for auction. This is because Australia’s Cameron Devlin switched shirts with the former Barcelona forward during the competition.
According to Sotheby’s: “A portion of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Unicas Project, led by Sant Joan de Deu (SJD) Barcelona Children’s Hospital with the support of the Leo Messi Foundation, to meet the needs of children suffering from rare diseases.”
