Lionel Messi's Argentina World Cup 2023 jerseys from their championship run in Qatar are scheduled to go under the hammer. The football legend from Argentina announced on social media that a part of the auction proceeds will be donated to the Unicas Project, which is a program for kids with rare diseases run by Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Children's Hospital.
The six shirts that Argentina captain Messi wore, including the one in the thrilling championship match against France, are estimated by auctioneers Sotheby's to be worth over USD 10 million, making them the most valuable collection of sports memorabilia ever.
Six of the seven first-half jerseys the Argentina captain wore, including the one he wore in the championship, will be up for auction in New York, according to Sotheby's.
In addition to breaking records on the field, Messi has the potential to do so off it. Messi's jerseys could fetch more than $10 million at auction, topping the USD 10.1 million price tag of a Michael Jordan jersey from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Final that sold at Sotheby's in 2022.
According to Sotheby's, that jersey is currently the "most valuable item of sports memorabilia" that has ever been sold at auction. With a sale at Sotheby's for USD 9.3 million in 2022, the late Diego Maradona currently holds the record for the most valuable match-worn piece of football memorabilia.
In the FIFA World Cup 2022, Argentina defeated France in a penalty shootout to become the third-time World Champions. Messi scored two goals in the 3-3 draw.
The auction for Messi's shirts will take place between November 30 and December 14. The shirts will also be displayed as part of a free public exhibition at Sotheby's headquarters in New York.
Messi, who is currently a player for Inter Miami in the US, spent 17 years at Barcelona, where he won four Champions League titles and multiple La Liga titles. He holds the record of winning eight Ballon d'Or awards.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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