Lionel Messi World Cup shirt collection set to smash sports auction record

Six football shirts worn by Lionel Messi throughout Argentina’s historic World Cup win in 2022 are expected to break auction records.

The collection, which includes the jersey he wore in the first half of the final, is set to become the “most valuable collection of sports memorabilia”.

Sotheby’s estimates the collection to fetch more than £7.9 million ($10 million) and a portion of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to a charity project supported by the Leo Messi Foundation, to meet the needs of children suffering from rare diseases.

The current world record for sports memorabilia is $10.1 million (£8 million) paid in 2022 for Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey.