As the World Cup approaches, Pele’s 1958 final shirt is being auctioned

As football fans prepare for the World Cup, a shirt worn by one of the sport’s most iconic players is being auctioned.

The number 10 shirt worn by the late Pelé from the 1958 World Cup final will be auctioned online between June 29 and July 16.

“This is the garment that one of history’s greatest footballers wore on the night his reign began,” Brahm Wachter, head of Sotheby’s modern collectibles, said in a statement.

The jersey is the one Pelé wore during his first World Cup final. Edson Arantes do Nascimento – also known as Pelé – was 17 years old when he scored twice in Brazil’s 5-2 win over hosts Sweden at Stockholm’s Rasunda Stadium. He remains the youngest player ever to score in a World Cup final.

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Pelé, who died of colon cancer in December 2022 at the age of 82, donated the handmade shirt to his housemate and teammate Dida after the final. It remained in Dida’s family for decades before being housed in a Brazilian museum and eventually acquired in 2004 by the current owner, who remains anonymous.

The Brazilian legend’s first goal in that final was one of the best ever in the World Cup, according to fans and players alike. He controlled the ball with his chest, tapped it over a Swedish defender and scored. The second came towards the end of the match with a header.

Pelé went on to win his third World Cup title in 1970 in Mexico, one of three hosts of the tournament with the United States and Canada. The same Azteca stadium that saw him as champion back then will host the opening match of the World Cup this year, with Mexico taking on South Africa.

Published on June 2, 2026