PELE has sold his unique collection of a life’s worth of football memorabilia for a massive £3.6million after a three-day auction.
All of the more than 2,000 items belonging to the Brazilian legend and three-time World Cup winner, 75, went under the hammer and sold.
The auction, held by Beverly Hills-based Julien’s Auctions, ‘shattered’ the conservative estimate of £1.5million to £3million.
The lots covered the years from when Pele turned professional at the age of 15 with Santos in Brazil in 1956 to being named as the club’s lifetime global ambassador in 2014.
The Fifa Player of the Century’s 1970 World Cup winner’s medal fetched £346,000 on the final day of the sale, while his 1,000th game crown went for £162,000.
Some of the proceeds will go to a children’s hospital in Brazil.
Pele’s 1958 and 1962 World Cup medals were sold collectively for £340,000, while a replica of the Jules Rimet trophy made for Pele after his third World Cup success went for £394,000.
The player’s football boots worn in the film Escape To Victory went for just over £8,000.
Pele’s expired passports also received a lot of interest, with his 1970-1972 document selling for £9,500 – more than four times the initial estimate.
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Pele said: “Having donated a significant portion of my collection to the city of Santos, I have decided to allow fans and collectors to own a piece of my history as well.
“I hope they treasure these artefacts and share my story with their children and generations to come.”
Martin Nolan, executive director at Julien’s Auctions, said: “Everything sold, it was a fantastic auction and an historic event.
“There was something there for everyone, from some of the smaller items right up to the Jules Rimet trophy itself.
“Items were being sold to museums, investors, collectors and, of course, fans.
“Pele was known for scoring goals, being a magnificent football player on the pitch, and I think this auction did him justice.”
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