PELE FOR SALE
Brazil legend auctions off his memorabilia
Pele is auctioning a treasure trove of memorabilia from his personal collection, ranging from his three World Cup winner’s medals to a commemorative silver bowl from the board of Plymouth Argyle.
The star item is a replica of the Jules Rimet trophy presented to the Brazilian legend after his third World Cup triumph, in Mexico in 1970, which is expected to fetch up to £420,000.
His individual medals from the tournaments in Mexico, Chile in 1962 and Sweden in 1958 are each expected to command more than £100,000. Also up for sale is the ball with which he scored his 1,000th goal, a penalty for Santos against Vasco da Gama in Rio’s Maracana Stadium in November 1969.
More than 2,000 items will be included in the auction, across three days in london next week, and they afford a glimpse into the life of the man recognised by many as the world’s greatest ever footballer.
‘It takes a lot to properly care for all these items,’ said Pele, 75. ‘I felt I could do much more good by sharing them with the world as well as helping many causes that are important to me.’
The collection could raise an estimated £3.5million with some of the proceeds going to Brazil’s largest children’s hospital. Along with significant pieces of sporting history there are the boots he wore in the 1981 film Escape to Victory, and personal documents, such as old passports, driving licences and a certificate of military service in the Sixth Group of the Motorized Coast Artillery in Santos.
There is a letter from Prince Charles offering thanks to Pele for appearing in a film about rainforests and a football signed by Rod Stewart with the message: ‘ Wish you were Scottish.’ Another ball is from the FA Cup final in 2000 and was apparently used by Pele to perform the ceremonial ‘last kick’ at the old Wembley Stadium. The Plymouth bowl was presented after the team from Devon beat Santos 3-2 in 1973.
Artefacts gathered from his postplaying career include watches, tiepins, boomerangs, vintage sombreros, feathered head-dresses, bows, arrows, wood- carvings, crowns, ceremonial daggers and many keys to many cities.
Some are plain weird. lot 1414 is a human tooth featuring a miniature portrait of Brazilian revolutionary Tiradentes. A public exhibition of pele: The collection opens at Mall Galleries, london today. The three-day auction, presented by californiabased Julien’s Auctions, starts on Tuesday.