A collection of six shirts worn by Lionel Messi during the 2022 World Cup has recently been sold at auction for a staggering $7.8 million (£6.1 million), making it the most expensive sports memorabilia sold this year.
These shirts, some of which still bear stains and dirt from the matches, were prominently displayed in the lobby of Sotheby’s in New York alongside the Argentina flag for the past two weeks. Messi wore these shirts throughout the tournament, including the thrilling final against France, which Argentina won on penalties.
Sotheby’s had initially estimated the price to exceed $10 million, which would have set a new record for the most valuable collection of sports memorabilia ever sold at auction. Despite the physical display in Manhattan, the auction itself took place online through Sotheby’s website, with bidders required to register beforehand to ensure serious participation.
The leading bid remained at $6.5 million until the final minute of the two-week auction, which concluded at midday Eastern Standard Time (5 p.m. GMT) on Thursday. In a surprising turn of events, the winning bid skyrocketed to $7.8 million in the closing moments. As of now, the identity of the successful bidder remains undisclosed.
In the first half of the World Cup final, Messi wore a shirt that is part of the collection. During this half, he scored a goal as Argentina took a 2-0 lead before France made a comeback.
The collection also includes shirts that Messi wore in each of the three knockout rounds and two out of three group games (excluding the match against Poland). Argentina had a slow start to the tournament with a surprising loss to Saudi Arabia. They then went an hour without scoring a goal against Mexico before Messi broke the deadlock in a 2-0 victory.
In the knockout stages, Argentina had a tough time securing a 2-1 win against Australia in the round of 16. It was in this game that Messi marked his 1,000th senior game with a brilliant goal. After a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, Argentina emerged victorious in a penalty shootout. They then showcased their competitiveness with a 3-0 defeat of Croatia in the semi-finals.
The final against France was an epic game, ending in a 3-3 draw and ultimately won by Argentina in a penalty shootout with a score of 4-2. Messi, as the captain, not only lifted the World Cup but also received the Golden Ball award for being the tournament’s best player, having scored a total of seven goals.
