Pele’s World Cup gold medal from 1958 is anticipated to fetch around £500,000 ($670,000) at an upcoming auction in England. The medal, acquired by the Brazilian icon during his teenage years, is part of a collection of 450 World Cup-related items set to be auctioned by sporting memorabilia experts BUDDS. This collection is estimated to reach a total value of £2 million.
A Brazil jersey worn by Pele during the 1958 final match is expected to fetch over $6 million in a separate auction at Sotheby’s in New York, scheduled from June 29 to July 16, just three days before the final game of this year’s World Cup. Pele, only 17 at the time, scored two of Brazil’s five goals in the 1958 final against the host nation, Sweden.
This victory marked the beginning of Brazil’s remarkable five World Cup triumphs, with “The King” Pele leading the charge in three of those wins. Pele, also known as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, passed away in December 2022 at the age of 82 following a battle with colon cancer.
Among the items up for auction in Britain are the jersey worn by England’s goalkeeper Gordon Banks during his famous save against Pele at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Additionally, memorabilia from England’s 1966 World Cup victory, such as Banks’ gold medal and Alan Ball’s jersey from the final, will be featured in the auction.
David Convery, the head of sporting memorabilia at BUDDS, described this as the most extensive collection of World Cup memorabilia ever to be auctioned, highlighting its significant historical value. An online auction showcasing jerseys from countries participating in the 2026 World Cup is currently ongoing until June 21, followed by a live auction on June 25 at BUDDS’s auction venue in Wellingborough, central England.