Lionel Messi’s Set of Six Match Worn Shirts from the 2022 FIFA World Cup Sells for $7.8 Million

Most Valuable Item of Sports Memorabilia Sold at Auction This Year

Auction Record for Any Lionel Messi Sports Memorabilia

Lionel Messi with back of match-worn shirt from 2022 FIFA World Cup Courtesy of Sam Robles Photography

 “These historic shirts are not only a tangible reminder of one of the most important moments in the history of sports, but are principally connected to the pinnacle moment in the career of the most decorated football player in history. It’s been particularly special to publicly exhibit these shirts in our galleries in New York, where sports fans and enthusiasts alike have been able to relive one of the most triumphant matches of our time.

Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's Head of Modern Collectables (@bwachter)

NEW YORK, 14 December 2023 – Today, a set of six Argentina jerseys worn by Lionel Messi during his history-making victory march to the 2022 FIFA World Cup championship in Qatar, sold at auction for $7.8 million – amongst the highest prices achieved for sports memorabilia at auction. The final price also represents the most valuable item of sports memorabilia sold at auction this year and surpasses the previous record for a Lionel Messi item of sports memorabilia.* Sotheby's now holds the top three prices of game-worn sports memorabilia at auction. 

The shirts – each worn by the Argentine captain during the first half of the Final, Semi-final, Quarter-final, Round of 16, and two of the three Group Stage matches – were brought to auction by US-based tech startup AC Momento, who in addition to their mobile app for sports fans, partners with high-profile athletes (including Messi) to help manage their match-worn memorabilia collections. A portion of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to UNICAS Project, led by Sant Joan de Déu (SJD) Barcelona Children’s Hospital with the support of the Leo Messi Foundation, to meet the needs of children suffering from rare diseases. This follows the inspiring work the Leo Messi Foundation has completed with the SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospital Pediatric Cancer Center, which treats 400 children with cancer each year. 

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