TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
A set of six jerseys worn by Argentinian soccer legend Lionel Messi during the 2022 FIFA World Cup received a seven-figure bid Thursday at auction.
According to Darren Rovell of The Action Network, the lot of six jerseys landed a bid of $5.2 million at Sotheby’s, which translates to $6.3 million when factoring in the buyer’s premium:
The auction still has a chance to go significantly higher since it doesn’t end until Dec. 14.
All of the Messi jerseys up for bid were worn during different matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Two of them are from the group stage, while the other four are from the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
Messi has long been considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, but the one major accomplishment missing from his rΓ©sumΓ© before 2022 was a World Cup win.
With Messi leading the way, Argentina went the distance in Qatar and won its first World Cup since 1986.
Messi was every bit the superstar he had been throughout his career, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s top player and the Silver Boot as the second-leading scorer with seven goals and three assists.
While all of the jerseys in the auction are coveted, it is likely that the most valuable one was the jersey won by Messi during the World Cup Final against France.
Regarded as one of the greatest soccer matches of all time, Messi scored twice and then scored again in the penalty shootout, as Argentina won 3-3 (4-2).
Messi’s World Cup jerseys are some of the most significant pieces of memorabilia in the history of the sport, so it is no surprise that there has already been major interest on the auction block.
