Record-Breaking Auction Features Iconic Football Memorabilia

John Terry recently auctioned more than 50 personal items from his illustrious career, featuring memorabilia from celebrated football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Among the highlights was a match-worn shirt belonging to Messi from the Champions League encounter between Chelsea and Barcelona in 2006, which garnered an impressive $183,000 (£144,000/€168,000), as reported by ESPN. In contrast, a Ronaldo shirt from his Manchester United tenure sold for $115,900 (£85,000/€99,000).

In an Instagram post regarding the Messi shirt, Terry shared, “This is a very special shirt, it is from the great and one and only Lionel Messi, when he played at Stamford Bridge. It’s the orange kit – which they didn’t wear too often – making it even more remarkable. As a defender, I was often close to him during the game. Towards the end, I would position myself even closer to secure his shirt after the match.”

Messi’s jersey has now become the fourth-most expensive football shirt ever sold, surpassing the $116,000 (£91,750/€105,000) paid for Geoff Hurst’s shirt from the 1966 World Cup final.

The auction, organized by the American auction house Goldin, also featured a Thierry Henry shirt from his time at Arsenal, which sold for $93,820 (£67,823/€79,146). This shirt commemorated the Gunners’ 2-1 victory over Chelsea in October 2003 during their ‘Invincibles’ campaign, and included a personal message: “To John, keep up the good work.”

In addition to Messi and Ronaldo memorabilia, the auction included jerseys from other football legends such as Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Paolo Maldini, Cesc Fabregas, Ashley Cole, Gianfranco Zola, Samuel Eto’o, and Rio Ferdinand.

The auction also featured several replica trophies, with the most expensive being a copy of the 2007 FA Cup trophy, sold for $26,840 (£20,150/€23,500). Other items included football boots and shin guards.

A significant portion of the proceeds from the auction is expected to benefit the John Terry Foundation, which supports disadvantaged young people in the United Kingdom.

Currently, Terry is serving as a part-time coach within Chelsea’s academy and is also associated with the Baller League. While he has aspirations for a managerial role, he expressed uncertainty about his future opportunities in coaching when he spoke in October. Notably, he was inducted into the Premier League’s Hall of Fame nearly two years ago.