Lionel Messi's World Cup-winning jerseys sell for $7.8 million

Six of the jerseys Lionel Messi wore during his World Cup run last year were auctioned off at a jaw-dropping price on Thursday.

The shirts Messi wore throughout the run, including the one he donned when Argentina won the final, sold for $7.8 million at Sotheby's.

It's by far the most money ever purchased on Messi memorabilia. Previously, a jersey he wore in 2017 sold for $450,000.

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates with his familiy and the World Cup trophy after an international friendly soccer match against Panama at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 23, 2023.

The jerseys were from six of the seven matches Messi played in, only missing one from a group stage game.

The group of jerseys falls shy of the all-time record set by the auction house behind Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals jersey ($10.1 million). Fellow Argentinian hero Diego Maradona's jersey worn during the "Hand of God" goal sold for $9.3 million.

Messi's shirts, though, surpassed LeBron James' jersey that he wore during Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, which sold for $3.68 million in January. James' Miami Heat won that game, giving them and James back-to-back titles. It was the second of James' four titles thus far.

Messi was awarded the Golden Ball for being the most outstanding player of the World Cup. He had two goals and converted on a penalty to lift Argentina to the victory over France in the final. It’s the second time he’s won the award, making him the only player to win it twice.

Messi, 36, said the 2022 World Cup was his last, but he did play in a recent 2026 World Cup qualifier.

It was Argentina's third-ever World Cup title.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently playing for Inter Miami in the MLS.

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