Messi’s 2022 World Cup Shirts Sold for $7.8 Million

Lionel Messi’s six World Cup shirts from 2022 broke the previous record for the most expensive items associated with the Argentine striker.

At an auction last week held at Sotheby’s Auction House in New York, they sold for $7.8 million.

The shirt that Messi wore in Argentina’s 4-2 victory over France on penalty kicks following a 3-3 draw in regulation and overtime was among the six shirts that were sold.

With seven goals in the 2022 World Cup, Messi not only won the tournament’s best player award but also helped Argentina win its third championship.

According to Brahm Wachter, head of Sotheby’s modern collectibles division, the six shirts’ sale was a “huge occasion in auction history, providing fans and collectors with a connection to Messi’s achievement.”

Wachter added that the shirts “are not only a tangible reminder of one of the most important moments in the history of sports, but are fundamentally linked to the peak moment in the career of the most decorated football player in history.”

Messi leads the list of players with 44 team titles, including the Spanish League (10 times), Champions League (4), and Copa America (1).

Messi had an amazing season that included him being named the world’s best player for the eighth time in his career, moving to Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain in France, and being named “Sportsman of the Year” for 2023 by Time magazine earlier this month.

After making his Miami League Cup debut in July, Messi helped the team win the competition that unites Mexican and American clubs.