Pelé's World Cup medal soon to be auctioned along with other legendary pieces

An incredible collection of World Cup-related items, including Pele's medal won at the 1958 tournament, will soon go up for auction with an overall estimate that could exceed £2 million. This prestigious medal, won by the legendary Brazilian player while he was still a teenager, could alone be worth £500,000. During this edition, Brazil won the final 5-2 against Sweden, the host country, at the Råsunda stadium near Stockholm.

Next month, more than 450 lots will be offered for auction, including the jersey worn by goalkeeper Peter Shilton during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, but also the Gordon Banks jersey associated with the famous save against Pelé in 1970. The sale also includes memorabilia from victorious England in 1966, such as Banks' winner's medal and Alan Ball's jersey during the final.

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Organized by sports memorabilia specialists BUDDS, this sale is expected to arouse keen interest from collectors around the world. David Convery, head of sport at BUDDS, said: “This is the largest collection of World Cup memorabilia ever offered at auction, and it is difficult to imagine any other sale that can rival such historic weight. Individual pieces such as Pelé's winner's medal, Gordon Banks' jersey from the 'Rescue of the Century' or Peter Shilton's jersey from the 'Hand of God' match are already highlights. Bringing them together in one sale is an extraordinarily rare opportunity. These objects are linked to moments that emotionally impacted millions of fans, even those who were not born at the time. »

The sale will take place online from June 1 to 21, including jerseys from the nations participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, before a live sale on June 25 in the BUDDS rooms in Wellingborough. In addition, a jersey worn by Pelé during the 1958 World Cup will be sold separately during an online auction from June 29 to July 16, with an estimate exceeding $6 million. Brahm Wachter, head of modern collections at Sotheby’s, explained: “This jersey is not just a piece of clothing, it is the one worn by one of the greatest footballers in history on the night of his coronation. » This jersey – a blue short-sleeved number 10 – would thus become the most valuable piece belonging to the only player to have won three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970). The current record for the most expensive football jersey remains that worn by Diego Maradona, sold for $9.28 million in 2022.