Six shirts worn by Argentina megastar Lionel Messi during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have sold for $7.8 million at auction.

The auction house told AFP on Thursday “A total of three bids were made for the rare collection, Lionel Messi’s light blue and white striped Argentina jersey worn in a historic 2022 FIFA World Cup match.”

The auction house stated that the hefty price broke the record for any item associated with the world-famous Argentine star, making it the most valuable sports item sold at auction so far this year.

On December 18, 2022, Messi led his team to a 4-2 victory on penalties while playing against France at the 80,000-capacity Lucille Stadium in Qatar.

Sotheby’s head of modern collections Wachter said, “The 2022 FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest events in sporting history, connecting with Messi’s incredible journey and cementing his status as one of the greatest players of all time,”

“It is an honor for Sodeby to present and showcase this invaluable collection to the public.”

“These historic shirts are a tangible reminder of one of the most important moments in sports history and fundamentally about one of the most honored, most important moments in a football player’s career,” he said.

Earlier this month, Messi was selected as Time magazine’s “Athlete of the Year” for 2023.