Yesterday's victory for Spain was their first world cup success in a tournament dating back 80 years.
During that time the world of football has seen icons like Pele, Maradona, and Cruyff as well as their modern equivalents, Messi, Ronaldo and Kaka creating moments of magic and controversy.
Throughout this time, memorabilia has played a huge part for fans and collectors alike. Football collectibles have come to represent pieces of nostalgia, relating a unique moment or memory from the game. While some of these collectibles remain elusive, here are our top five of the most unique memorabilia sold to date...
5. Jose Mourinho's Premier League Winners Medals
When it comes to memorabilia related to football managers, you can't get much more special, than "The Special One" himself.
Having won league and cup titles in Portugal, Italy and England, as well as a Uefa Cup and two Champions league titles, Mourinho is on course to become one of the greatest managers of all time.
Following Chelsea's 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in 2006, the team and manager were presented with the Premier League Trophy and medals.
For Chelsea fans, it seemed that the day could not get much sweeter. However, for two fans, it definitely did, as Jose Mourinho chose to throw not one but two winners medals into the home crowd
In a post match interview, Mourinho had this to say:
"I think the person in the crowd who got the medal is a lucky guy who goes home with a fantastic memory. Or goes to eBay and makes a fortune."
He was half right. The medals did represent a fantastic memory of the game and season. But it wasn't to be sold on eBay. Instead, auction house Bonham's sold both of the medals. The first sold for £21,600, with the second coming in at £16,800.
|
League Winner's medal |
4. The 1966 Turf
In recent years, the growing sports memorabilia market has seen increased interest from collectors, in sections of the turf from famous stadia around the world.
In England, the most sought after turf came from their victorious World Cup final, played at Wembley in 1966.
A recent auction saw a section of the famous turf from which Sir Geoff Hurst struck England's fourth goal sell for £11,000 ($16,500).
However, the highest price was paid by current Leeds United Chairman Ken Bates, who paid £20,000 ($30,000) for the turf on which England's third infamously bounced over the line.
3. The Diego Maradona and the earring of God
In January this year, Diego Maradona's white diamond set in white gold earring was put up for auction with an estimate of £3,300.
The earring eventually sold for £21,000, almost seven times the estimated figure. The auction profits went toward paying a £31,000,000 tax bill Maradona accumulated during his time playing for Napoli in Italy in the 1980s.
2. Stanley The Magician Matthew's Boots
In February this year, Bonhams in Chester held an auction of sports memorabilia. Whilst the event presented sports memorabilia collectors with a veritable treasure trove of delights, it was the boots of one Stanley Matthew that stole the show.
To this day, Matthew's achievements in football have yet to be matched, and probably never will. The Stoke and Blackpool legend, played at the top level until he was 50 years old, was the oldest player ever to play in England's top football division and the oldest to ever represent England.
The boots, worn during Blackpool's one and only FA Cup winning final, were put up for sale with a price estimate of £6,000-8,000 attached.
 Stanley Matthew's famous boots |
The game represented one of the pinnacles of Matthew's dazzling career, which helped them to reach a jaw dropping £38,000 on the auction block. Over four times the estimated price. Today, not surprisingly, Stanley Matthews memorabilia remains greatly sought after.
1. Robert "Bobby" Moore's Shirt and Medal
To date, Bobby Moore stands as the only world cup winning England captain and remains one of the defining icons of the English games. Having led England to victory, he retired from the game in 1978, before enjoying brief stints as a manager and then media pundit, before tragically succumbing to stomach cancer in 1993.
It was his beloved West Ham Football club that purchased the FIFA World cup winning shirt and medal from the Moore estate for £150,000 ($225,000) following his death. It currently resides in their club museum.
And, while these represent our top five football collectibles, there remain a few highly sought after pieces, that have reached near mythical status amongst football fans...
England player Steve Hodge swapped shirts with Maradona following the infamous "hand of God" 1986 World Cup quarter final. He now admits that the shirt is currently residing in his loft. In recent interview, Hodge stated that he believed the shirt to be worth around £200,000. However, given comparative results, this may be slightly lower than the reality.
Eight years ago, the Brazil shirt worn by Pele during the 1970 Mexico FIFA World Cup Final was auctioned for a massive £157,000 ($235,500). The shirt was worn during a match that saw Pele score and play an assist for two of the most iconic goals in World Cup history. If Maradona's shirt were to arrive on the market, it could match or even exceed this price.
For collectors looking toward the Pele's and Maradona's of the future. Paul Fraser Collectibles has a signed David Beckham, Real Madrid No. 23 shirt from a 2004 Champions League match with Bayern Munich.
 David Beckham's Signed Real Madrid Shirt |
With the growing popularity of "soccer" in the United States, coming as a direct result of the Beckham effect, it would not be unsurprising for the value of this shirt to continue to rise in the coming years.
- More news on Memorabilia
- Enjoy the read? Don't forget to sign up for your free newsletter with exclusive content
