As the only soccer player to ever win three World Cup titles, Pelé is a living legend. Over the next three days, the star’s World Cup medals from 1958, 1962 and 1970 will be among an extensive collection of items auctioned off at the Mall Galleries in London. Sponsored by Hublot and conducted by Julien’s Auctions, the sale was preceded by a week-long display of the collection, which transformed the Mall Galleries into a Pelé museum.
Pelé has donated a large portion of his memorabilia to the City of Santos, Brazil, the home of the football club where he played for over a decade. The auction was inspired by a desire to make this historic memorabilia available to fans and collectors. “I hope people treasure these artifacts and share my story with their children and generations to come,” said Pelé in a release. “I will also be donating a portion of the proceeds from the auction to Pequeno Príncipe, the largest pediatric hospital in Brazil. Children are the hope, the talents and the athletes of tomorrow.”
Registered bidders will purchase over 2,000 items at a live auction as well as online including the star’s Jules Rimet Trophy, his 1977 NY Cosmos NASL Championship ring and the ball he used to score his 1,000th goal.
