The jersey worn by Brazilian legend Pelé in the final of the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden has been sold at an auction in New York for USD 4.9 million.

This is the second-highest price ever paid for a jersey worn by a footballer. The record is still held by the jersey Diego Maradona wore in the 1986 World Cup match against England, in which he scored the “Hand of God” goal. That jersey sold for USD 9.3 million.

The auction organisers said five parties submitted a total of 10 bids to acquire Pelé’s number 10 jersey. Experts said this is evidence that the price of items associated with Pelé in the sports memorabilia market continues to rise day by day.

The 1958 final was a very special match in Pelé’s football career. Aged just 17, he scored two goals in that final and played a key role in Brazil’s 5-2 victory over Sweden. He also set the record that day as the youngest player to score in a World Cup final.

Pelé, regarded as one of the greatest footballers ever to have lived, passed away in 2022 at the age of 82.