As the 2026 World Cup turns the world’s attention to football, Sotheby’s is holding The Beautiful Game, an online sale dedicated to football memorabilia. Among the star lots is the blue Brazil No. 10 shirt worn by Pelé in the 1958 World Cup final.
Pelé was just 17 when he wore the jersey in Stockholm, scoring twice in front of nearly 50,000 spectators as Brazil beat hosts Sweden 5-2 to claim their first World Cup title. The match made him the youngest player ever to win the tournament and set him on the path to becoming “The King of Football”.
The shirt last appeared at auction at Christie's London in 2004, when it sold for £70,505 (around US$128,000). More than two decades on, Sotheby’s now expects it to fetch in excess of US$6 million, with bidding closing on 16 July at 3 pm New York time.
Pelé in tears after Brazil wins its first World Cup title in 1958
Lot 1 | Pelé 1958 FIFA World Cup Final Championship Clinching Match Worn Shirt
Provenance (Supplemented by The Value):
- Pele gift to Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa ('Dida') 1958 World Cup Teammate
- Gifted by Dida and Family to the Museu dos Esportes (Museum of Sport) Brazil
- Museu dos Esportes deaccessioned via Christie’s Auction (September 21 2004; sold: £70,505)
- Property of a Private Collector
Estimate Upon Request (Expected to fetch in excess of US$6,000,000)
Current Bid (as of time of publishing): US$1,000,000
Auction House: Sotheby's New York
Sale: The Beautiful Game
Bidding Closes: 16 July 2026 | 3:00 pm (New York local time)
In 1958, the World Cup made its first – and so far only – stop in Scandinavia. Sweden topped their group and then saw off the Soviet Union and defending champion West Germany to book a place in the final. On the other side of the draw, Brazil also advanced as group winners, knocking out Wales and pre‑tournament favourite France.
Pelé missed Brazil’s first two group games with a knee injury, but once he returned he made an immediate impact, quickly setting a string of World Cup records: Brazil’s youngest player at the finals (against the Soviet Union, at 17 years and 235 days), the country’s youngest World Cup goalscorer (against Wales, at 17 years and 239 days), and the youngest player ever to score a World Cup hat‑trick (against France, at 17 years and 244 days).
On 29 June, the Seleção walked out at Råsunda Stadium to face Sweden in front of more than 49,000 fans. Few in the crowd would have known that Brazil’s now-famous blue shirts had been made in a hurry, after a kit problem forced the squad into a last-minute fix.
Pelé misses Brazil’s first two group games due to a knee injury
Pelé scores a hat-trick against France in the semi-final | The image has been digitally colorized
It began with a simple colour clash. Both Sweden and Brazil’s first-choice shirts were yellow, and when Brazil refused the organisers’ proposed draw to decide who would change, the visitors were left with only a few days to come up with an alternative.
White was suggested but quickly ruled out – for Brazil, it still called to mind the trauma of the 1950 World Cup, when they lost the final to Uruguay wearing white. In the end, the team staff bought 22 plain blue shirts. Players cut the national crest from their yellow jerseys and had it sewn onto the new tops, while the numbers were improvised from yellow equipment bags and fixed on by hand.
There was another issue with those numbers. At the time, squads were usually numbered by position – No. 1 for the goalkeeper and Nos. 9 to 11 for the forwards – and No. 10 was not yet shorthand for a team’s playmaker.
According to reports, Brazil’s federation failed to submit an official numbering list before the tournament, so FIFA assigned Nos. 1 to 22 more or less at random. The starting goalkeeper appeared in No. 3, a centre‑back ran out in No. 9, and No. 10 landed with Pelé.
The shirt has been photomatched by SIA Photo Match
On the day of the final, Brazil lined up in a 4‑2‑4 against a Sweden side set up in a 3‑4‑2‑1. The hosts struck first, taking the lead inside four minutes, but Brazil hit back with two goals and headed down the tunnel 2-1 up at half-time.
Pelé took over after the interval. In the 55th minute, he collected a cross in the box with his back to goal, brought it down on his chest, flicked the ball over a defender and finished with a volley. In the 90th minute, he met another cross, rising between two Swedish defenders to send a looping header over the goalkeeper.
Brazil eventually ran out 5-2 winners and lifted the World Cup for the first time. The match not only announced Pelé’s arrival as the game’s new king, it also helped reinforce the No. 10 shirt’s special status in football.
Pelé would go on to help Brazil win the World Cup again in 1962 and 1970, becoming the only player to lift the trophy three times and reinforcing the country’s reputation as the "football country", the beautiful game's spiritual home.
In the 55th minute, Pelé collected a cross in the box with his back to goal, brought it down on his chest, flicked the ball over a defender and finished with a volley
In the 90th minute, Pelé sent a looping header over the goalkeeper
Pelé helped Brazil lift its first World Cup
After the final, Pelé gave the shirt to his roommate and team‑mate Dida (Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa). In 1993, the forward passed it on to the Museu dos Esportes Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa, a Brazilian sports museum set up by a journalist in his honour.
In 2004, the museum consigned the jersey to Christie’s in London, where it sold for £70,505 (around US$128,000). This time, Sotheby’s expects the piece to fetch over US$6 million.
At that level, the shirt could contend for the most expensive football jersey ever sold at auction, although the overall sports‑memorabilia benchmark remains some distance away:
- Babe Ruth 1932 World Series “Called Shot” Game Worn Jersey | Sold: US$24,120,000, Heritage Auctions, 2024 (Auction record for any sports memorabilia and game‑worn jersey)
- Michael Jordan 1998 NBA Finals “The Last Dance” Game Worn Jersey | Sold: US$10,091,000, Sotheby’s New York, 2022 (Auction record for a basketball jersey)
- Diego Maradona 1986 World Cup “The Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century” Match Worn Shirt | Sold: £7,140,000 (US$9.3 million), Sotheby's London, 2022 (Auction record for a football jersey)
Babe Ruth 1932 World Series “Called Shot” Game Worn Jersey | Sold: US$24,120,000, Heritage Auctions, 2024 (Auction record for a sports memorabilia and for a sports jersey)
Michael Jordan 1998 NBA Finals “The Last Dance” Game Worn Jersey | Sold: US$10,091,000, Sotheby’s New York, 2022 (Auction record for a basketball jersey)
Diego Maradona 1986 World Cup “The Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century” Match Worn Shirt | Sold: £7,140,000 (US$9.3 million), Sotheby's London, 2022 (Auction record for a football jersey)