A shirt worn by football legend Pelé during Brazil's victory in their first World Cup title in 1958 was sold at a public auction in New York on Thursday for $4.9 million, according to an announcement by Sotheby's auction house.
The player, who was 17 years old at the time, scored 2 of the Brazilian national team's 5 goals against Sweden, the host nation, in a 5-2 victory, having previously beaten France by the same scoreline in the semi-final.
During the 1958 final, "the King" Pelé — whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento — gave the shirt to his teammate and friend Dida.
The shirt remained in Dida's family for decades before being displayed in a museum, and was then offered at public auction for the first time in 2004 at an undisclosed price.
After 10 bids from 5 bidders, it was sold to an anonymous buyer, making it the second most expensive shirt in the world, according to Sotheby's.
The record of $9.3 million still belongs to the shirt worn by Argentine Diego Armando Maradona on 22 June 1986 in Mexico City during the legendary quarter-final match against England.
Argentina won the match 2-1 thanks to two legendary goals scored by Maradona — one with his hand, which he later dubbed the "Hand of God", and the other following a breathtaking run past several defenders.