Lionel Messi’s set of six match-worn shirts during Argentina’s historic 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar was sold for $7.8 million, making the collection the most valuable sports memorabilia sold at auction this year.
The auction was hosted by Sotheby’s in New York after three successful bids.
The staggering price marks the collection as the most valuable sports memorabilia sold at auction this year.
It also set a new record for Messi memorabilia by a significant margin, overtaking the $450,000 sale of his El Clasico 2017 jersey, which he famously held after scoring the winning goal late in the game.
A portion of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to UNICAS Project, led by Sant Joan de Déu (SJD) Barcelona Children’s Hospital, with the support of the Leo Messi Foundation, to meet the needs of children suffering from rare diseases.
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The shirts were brought to auction by US-based tech startup AC Momento, who in addition to their mobile app for sports fans, partners with high-profile athletes such as Messi to help manage their match-worn memorabilia collections.
Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Modern Collectables, said: “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,” Wachter said.
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“It’s been particularly special to publicly exhibit these shirts in our galleries in New York, where sports fans and enthusiasts alike have been able to relive one of the most triumphant matches of our time.”
Messi wore each of the six shirts in the collection during the final, semi-final, quarter-final, round of 16, and two of the three Group Stage matches of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner finally lifted the World Cup trophy at the fifth time of asking.
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