Lionel Messi's original World Cup 2022 shirts sold for record $7.8 million

An unnamed bidder on Thursday soccer icon Lionel Messi's historic 2022 Fifa World Cup jerseys for a resounding $7.8 million, according to auction house Sotheby's.

These six shirts were worn by the soccer superstar during the initial half of one of Argentina’s historic matches in last year's World Cup in Qatar.

According to Sotheby's, the final price of these iconic shirts marks the highest value achieved for a piece of sports memorabilia this year.

Argentina won the World Cup final over France in a penalty shootout, securing their third title. Messi played a crucial role in this victory, scoring two of Argentina's three goals.

This moment is significant for one of the sport's greatest players, and the sale of these shirts only adds to his legacy as a soccer legend.

“These historic shirts are not only a tangible reminder of one of the most important moments in the history of sports, but are principally connected to the pinnacle moment in the career of the most decorated football player in history,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectables, said in a statement.

The shirts were auctioned off at Sotheby's New York headquarters during a two-week online auction.

Sotheby’s stated that a portion of the auction proceeds would be given to the UNICAS Project. This initiative is led by the Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital, with backing from the Leo Messi Foundation, aiming to aid children affected by rare diseases.

Messi, 36, presently with Inter Miami in the MLS, spent 17 years at Barcelona. He holds the record for winning the Ballon d’Or eight times, an award presented annually to the finest player in the game.

Sotheby’s had anticipated that the Messi shirts might establish an auction record for sports memorabilia worn during a game, but that didn't happen.

The existing record for a game-worn piece of sports memorabilia is held by Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which fetched $10.1 million at Sotheby’s in New York last year.