Pele's 1958 World Cup winner's medal auctions for $290,000

Pele's 1958 World Cup winner's medal has proved the hottest item so far during the first two days of the sale of the footballer's memorabilia.

The medal, the first of three Pele won with Brazil, hammered for £160,000 ($290,000) at Julien's Auctions yesterday afternoon.

Pele 1958 winner's medal
Brazil beat hosts Sweden 5-2 in the 1958 final

It was followed today by the £110,000 ($160,235) sale of his 1962 medal, evidence of the importance collectors place on "the first" of things.

The sale has offered pieces for Pele fans of all pockets, with the star's personal lute selling for just £500 ($728), and his football boots from the cult classic Escape to Victory film achieving £8,025 ($11,690).

The 1,600-lot sale also includes Pele's 1970 World Cup winner's medal and his personal copy of the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy. The latter, created for him by FIFA after he became the first player to win three World Cups, has a £420,000 ($600,000) valuation.

"I'm the only athlete in the world to win three World Cups and truly conquer the Jules Rimet," says Pele.

"I have to thank all the players that were by my side at the Brazilian national squad for all those years because this achievement is really memorable."

Check back with Paul Fraser Collectibles tomorrow to see how it fares.

These are exciting times for football collectors, with hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst's 1966 England World Cup final shirt auctioning in July.

View Paul Fraser Collectibles' sports memorabilia for sale.

Please sign up to our free newsletter to receive exciting news about sports memorabilia auctions.

Featured products

Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Sale price£399
In stock
Fidel Castro signed certificateFidel Castro Signed Certificate
Fidel Castro signed certificate
Sale price£2,995
In stock
King Henry VIII Autographed DocumentKing Henry VIII Autographed Document
King Henry VIII Autographed Document
Sale price£55,000
In stock