Online Reporter
Robson Sharuko-H-Metro Editor
AN autographed football jersey, which was bought at an impromptu auction in Harare on Wednesday night, has shattered all records and is the MOST expensive club soccer jersey ever sold in the WORLD.
It cost more than what Pele’s iconic Brazil No.10 jersey fetched when it was auctioned and it cost 6,4 TIMES what Cristiano Ronaldo’s No. 7 Manchester United jersey cost when it was auctioned.
It also cost more than 10 times what George Best’s Manchester United No. 7 jersey cost when it was auctioned.
The Scottland Adidas jersey, which was signed by all the players at the Premiership newboys, was sold for US$250 000 after a stampede during the auction which, at one time, saw a bidder putting forward a US$120 000 bid.
ZIFA board member, Brighton “Pan Jap” Ushendibaba briefly appeared to have won the bid for the jersey when he threw in a US$60 000 bid and said he would, as part of the deal, also donate a truck for the club’s media team to use.
However, there was a counter off for double the cash which Ushendibaba wanted to splash on the jersey with another bidder raising the bar even higher by offering US$120 000.
The auction, which started at US$5 000, eventually peaked at US$250 000 with ICM Communications Managing Director, Denny Marandure, winning the bidding war.
ICM Communications are one of the major sponsors of Scottland, having unveiled a US$1 million sponsorship package for the club in December last year.
The jersey was then given to the Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, Lieutenant General Anselem Sanyatwe, who was the guest of honour at the function where Scottland unveiled their kit for the new season.
That jersey transaction smashed a lot of records:
It is the most expensive club football jersey ever sold in the world.
It is the most expensive football jersey ever sold in the world, even when we include national team jerseys, which are not linked to two of the game’s biggest superstars – Diego Maradona and Lionel Pele.
It is the EIGHTH most expensive football jersey ever sold in the world.
Only the jersey, which Maradona wore when Argentina beat England 2-1 in the ’86 World Cup quarter-final match decided by the ‘Hand Of God,’ and six of the jerseys which Messi used at the 2022 World Cup, cost more.
The six jerseys which Messi used in Qatar were sold as a single unit.
The jersey which Maradona wore in that game against England remains the most expensive football jersey ever sold after it fetched US$8,8 million at an auction conducted by Sotherbys’.
That jersey, on its own, cost more than the six jerseys which Messi used when he led Argentina to success at the 2022 World Cup as they collectively cost US$7,7m at an average cost of 1,3 million.
·Both Maradona and Messi jerseys were for their national teams.
The Scottland jersey sold on Wednesday was a club jersey and it cost US$51,800 more than what Pele’s iconic Brazil’s No. 10 jersey fetched when it was auctioned. Pele’s jersey was auctioned for US$198,185.
It cost 2,7 times more than what the jersey of ’66 England World Cup winner Geoff Hurst cost as the Englishman’s jersey fetched US$115,825.
It fetched 6,4 times what Cristiano’s Manchester United jersey fetched when it was auctioned for US$49,230.
It fetched 8,71 times what Paul Gascoigne’s England ‘90 World Cup jersey fetched when it was auctioned for US36,202.
It fetched 10,4 times what George Best’s Manchester United’s Number 7 jersey fetched when it was auctioned for US$30,294.
It fetched 16,2 times what Eric Cantona’s Number 7 Manchester United’s jersey fetched when it was auctioned for US$19,376.
