Pele's 1958 World Cup final shirt hits auction with $1M bid

A match-worn shirt from Pele’s breakthrough performance at the 1958 FIFA World Cup Final is heading to auction at Sotheby’s, where bidding has already reached $1 million. The soccer auction closes July 16.

"It was the shirt he wore when he really announced himself to the entire world," said Brendan Hawkes, Sotheby’s vice president of sports strategy and development.

The blue Brazil number 10 shirt was worn by Pele on June 29, 1958, at Rasunda Stadium in Stockholm, where Brazil defeated host nation Sweden 5-2 to win its first World Cup title.

"He became the greatest soccer player ever," said Hawkes.

Sotheby’s Sports Week also includes Jalen Brunson’s away “Association Edition” jersey, worn on June 3, 2026, during Game 1 of the NBA Finals, when the New York Knicks played the San Antonio Spurs. The basketball auction closes July 8.

Brunson finished that game with 30 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, including 13 points in the fourth quarter, helping turn a double-digit deficit into a 105-95 Knicks victory.

"The city and the country, really, was in a frenzy over this series," said Hawkes. "I think these jerseys are symbolic of one, what they meant to the city, what this team means to the city - but also they're an artifact for this incredible run that the Knicks had - the first championship in 53 years."

Camera: Andrew Hofstetter; Production, Writing, Editing: Roselle Chen/Reuters