Lionel Messi’s stardom and influence in the sporting world are unreal. The World Cup winner is no stranger to breaking records. Following his eighth Ballon d’Or award, he scooped the title of best player of the year. Messi received the prestigious accolade for heroics in Qatar while wearing the Argentine colors.
Recently, Diego Maradona’s iconic 1986 World Cup ‘Hand of God’ jersey broke NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s $5.8 million record at Sotheby’s auction. Messi’s jersey has also been up for sale at the auction and could potentially surpass the record for legend Michael Jordan’s memorabilia sale.
Messi’s World Cup 2022 jerseys to fetch $10m at auction
Lionel Messi is regarded as the greatest soccer star of all time, not only by fans but also by many of his former teammates and coaches who share this belief. The 36-year-old completed his quest for the World Cup last year by lifting the prestigious title, a triumph that came after missing out in the finals of the 2014 Brazil exit.
The former Barcelona star led Argentina from the front with his phenomenal 10-goal contribution, earning him the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament. Lionel Messi has since moved to MLS club Inter Miami from PSG, a transfer that has notably boosted shirt and ticket sales for the Miami-based team.
Next week, Lionel Messi will put up six sets of jerseys for auction that he wore during the Argentina World Cup-winning campaign in Qatar last year. This collection includes the shirt he wore in the final when he scored two goals in a 3-3 draw before securing victory through penalties.
The sale of Messi’s shirts is expected to fetch a collective sum of around $10 million, potentially making it one of the most valuable collections of sports memorabilia artifacts at the auction. Moreover, it poses a threat to the current record held by basketball legend Michael Jordan’s famous 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which was sold for $10 million.
Messi set for first Maracana return since Cope America win
La Albiceleste lifted the long-awaited Copa America trophy at the iconic Brazilian stadium Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro in 2021. Argentina defeated the hosts in the final with a 1-0 score, bringing back the trophy to Argentina and ending a 32-year international trophy drought. Messi will return to the field to play against Brazil in the next CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers.
It is the same venue where Messi and his team suffered a heartbreaking loss in the 2014 Brazil World Cup final against Germany. Although many believe it was the Maracanã Stadium from where Argentina’s quest for the World Cup kickestarted, after winning the Copa America in 2021, they are set to defend their Copa America title in the United States next year.
Will the Argentine maestro continue to perform at the top level in the coming years? Or will his form deteriorate as the dawn of his career comes near? Make sure to let us know what you think in the comments section.
