Lionel Messi's World Cup-winning jerseys sell for $7.8 million
Messi won his first World Cup last year
Six of the jerseys Lionel Messi wore during his World Cup run last year were auctioned off at a jaw-dropping price on Thursday.
The shirts Messi wore throughout the run, including the one he donned when Argentina won the final, sold for $7.8 million at Sotheby's.
It's by far the most money ever purchased on Messi memorabilia. Previously, a jersey he wore in 2017 sold for $450,000.
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Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with fans and teammates after winning the World Cup final at Lusail Stadium, December 18, 2022, in Lusail City, Qatar. (Michael Regan / FIFA)
The jerseys were from six of the seven matches Messi played in, only missing one from a group stage game.
The group of jerseys falls shy of the all-time record set by the auction house behind Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals jersey ($10.1 million). Fellow Argentinian hero Diego Maradona's jersey worn during the "Hand of God" goal sold for $9.3 million.
This shirt worn in the 2022 World Cup final match between Argentina and France is displayed during a Sotheby's auction media preview of the six 2022 World Cup match-worn shirts belonging to Lionel Messi in New York City on November 30, 2023. (Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images)
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Messi's shirts, though, surpassed LeBron James' jersey that he wore during Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, which sold for $3.68 million in January. James' Miami Heat won that game, giving them and James back-to-back titles. It was the second of James' four titles thus far.
Messi was awarded the Golden Ball for being the most outstanding player of the World Cup. He had two goals and converted on a penalty to lift Argentina to the victory over France in the final. It’s the second time he’s won the award, making him the only player to win it twice.
Messi, 36, said the 2022 World Cup was his last, but he did play in a recent 2026 World Cup qualifier.
It was Argentina's third-ever World Cup title.
Visitors look at the six 2022 FIFA World Cup match-worn shirts belonging to Lionel Messi during a Sotheby's auction media preview in New York City on November 30, 2023. (Timothy A. Clary / AFP)
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The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently playing for Inter Miami in the MLS.