A set of six jerseys worn by Argentinian famous person Lionel Messi on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has offered for an eye-popping quantity however has stopped wanting turning into the costliest sports activities memorabilia public sale in historical past.

The net public sale, performed by famend luxurious public sale home Sotheby’s closed on Thursday, December 14, with the ultimate bid reaching $7,803,000 US. That quantity falls wanting each Sotheby’s preliminary estimate of $10 million US and the world file for the costliest sports activities memorabilia ever auctioned off. That distinction nonetheless belongs to a jersey worn by Michael Jordan in Sport 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals, which Sotheby’s sold for $10.1 million US in September 2022.

By Thursday morning, solely three bids had been positioned within the public sale, and the worth sat at $6.5 million US. However like with the public sale of fellow Argentinian hero Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” jersey in Could 2022 — which completed at $8.93 million US — the bidding heated within the minutes earlier than the public sale closed at 12:01 p.m. ET, lastly touchdown simply north of $7.8 million US.

Lionel Messi celebrates with the FIFA World Cup trophy whereas sporting a particular winner’s jersey after Argentina defeated France on penalties to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The jersey he wore in the course of the precise recreation is one in every of six that was auctioned by Sotheby’s. (Courtesy **FIFA**)

In accordance with the Associated Press, a portion of the public sale proceeds will go towards the UNICAS Mission, a corporation led by Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Kids’s Hospital and supported by the Leo Messi Basis that meets the wants of youngsters affected by uncommon ailments.

The public sale included jerseys that Messi wore throughout six of Argentina’s seven matches on the World Cup in Qatar, together with the ultimate in opposition to France on December 18. All are inscribed on the chest with every match’s opponent, date and stadium. The one jersey lacking from the set was from Argentina’s third group stage match in opposition to Poland.

*The entrance of Messi’s jerseys from the 2022 World Cup last, inscribed with the opponent, date and stadium. (Courtesy **Sotheby’s**)*

The shirts auctioned off had been from the primary halves of Argentina’s matches in Qatar; Messi’s second-half shirts had been normally swapped with gamers from the opposing groups. All of the shirts had been extensively photomatched to confirm their authenticity.

The shirts had been on show at Sotheby’s headquarters in New York in the course of the public sale.