A shirt worn by Brazilian football legend Pele during the 1958 World Cup final has shattered records, selling for $4.9 million (£3.6m) at a Sotheby's auction in New York. This iconic jersey is now the second most valuable football shirt ever sold, surpassed only by Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" shirt from the 1986 World Cup, which fetched £7.1m in 2022.

Received with 10 bids from over five interested parties, Pele's 1958 final shirt represents his most valuable piece of memorabilia auctioned to date. Notably, this same shirt previously sold for $105,600 in 2004. At just 17 years old, Pele scored twice against Sweden in that 1958 final, securing his first of three World Cup titles and setting a record as the youngest player to score in a World Cup final.

Sotheby's head of sports strategy, Brendan Hawkes, stated the sale was a testament to Pele's "enduring legacy," calling the shirt a "lasting reminder of one of the most important moments in football history." Other notable items included Maradona's 1986 captain's armband ($512,000), Lionel Messi's 2017 Barcelona shirt ($217,600), and David Beckham's 2002 England shirt ($51,200).