Sotheby’s auction house announced on Monday that it will be selling a set of six jerseys worn by Lionel Messi during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The collection, which includes jerseys worn in group matches against Saudi Arabia and Mexico, as well as in the round of 16 against Australia and quarter-finals against the Netherlands, is estimated to be worth over $10 million.
Messi wore the stripes in the semi-finals against Croatia and the final against France. The collection will be sold online from November 30 to December 14, while also being displayed at Sotheby’s headquarters in New York. This makes it “the most valuable collection of sports memorabilia ever sold at auction,” according to Sotheby’s.
For comparison, the most expensive jersey currently sold at auction is the one worn by Michael Jordan in the 1998 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz. It was sold for $10.1 million.
Part of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to UNICAS project, a project run by Children’s Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (SJD) in Barcelona with support from Leo Messi Foundation, to address the needs of children suffering from rare diseases.