Fans don’t mess around when it comes to Messi. A massive first bid of $5.2 million has been made for six of Lionel Messi’s game-worn jerseys from the 2022 FIFA World Cup. These legendary items are being auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York City, and offers are expected to pour in despite the high starting price on December 14. The sale has begun with a multi-million-dollar bang, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see significantly higher stakes before the auction ends.
Joe Pompiliano’s tweet revealed more information: ‘@ACMomento’s auction of six match-worn Lionel Messi shirts from the World Cup just opened at @Sothebys, and somebody already bid $5.2 million. Including buyer’s premium, this puts the sale third all-time for sports memorabilia, topping Kobe, Babe Ruth, and LeBron records.’ How much this set will finally go for is anybody’s guess, but what’s certain is that records have already been broken. For instance, Kobe Bryant’s 2007-2008 MVP season jersey sold for $5.8m, Babe Ruth’s 1928-1930 New York Yankees jersey went for $5.6m, and LeBron James’ 2013 NBA Finals Game 7 jersey for $3.6m.
What remains to be seen is whether Messi’s shirts could surpass Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ jersey, which fetched $9.3m, and Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which sold for a whopping $10.1m at the auction’s conclusion. Whoever takes home this incredible collection will be echoing Messi’s very own words, ‘I dreamed of it so many times, I wanted it so much that I still can’t believe it.’
