Lionel Messi’s ‘historic’ jerseys worn during Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory run just sold for $7.8 million

Six jerseys worn by Argentina’s World Cup-winning soccer ace Lionel Messi were auctioned off Thursday for $7.8 million by the auction house Sotheby’s.

According to Sotheby’s, the final price for the shirts, which were each worn during the first half of one of Argentina’s games in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, is the highest price for an item of sports memorabilia this year.

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Argentina won its third World Cup by defeating France in a penalty shootout following a 3-3 tie in the final.

The victory, in which Messi scored two of Argentina’s three goals, marked a pinnacle moment for one of the sport’s all-time greats.

“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,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles, said in a statement.

During the two-week online auction, which ended Thursday, the shirts were on display at Sotheby’s New York offices.

The winning bidder’s identity was not revealed.

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Sotheby’s said a percentage of the auction revenues will go to the UNICAS Project, which is led by Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital and supported by the Leo Messi Foundation to help children with rare conditions.

Messi, 36, played for Barcelona for 17 years before joining Inter Miami in the MLS. He has won the Ballon d’Or, which is awarded yearly to the best player in the world, an unprecedented eight times.

Sotheby’s had hoped that the Messi shirts would establish a record for game-worn sports memorabilia at auction, but that did not happen.

Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which sold for $10.1 million at Sotheby’s in New York last year, still holds the record for a game-worn item of sports memorabilia.

Lionel Messi's 2022 World Cup Shirts Will Be Auctioned at Sotheby's -  Bloomberg