Lionel Messi shirt auction FAILS to break record after six match-worn jerseys fetch $7.8m... well below the $10.1m paid for Michael Jordan's 1998 finals jersey - the most valuable memorabilia in sports history

Lionel Messi’s match-worn World Cup final jersey was among a collection of his Argentina shirts that fetched $7.8million at auction on Thursday - but the lot failed to break the record for sport's most valuable memorabilia.

Six tops from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar - when Argentina beat France on penalties to win the tournament - were auctioned as a set by Sotheby’s in New York, with a portion of the proceeds going to charity.

Bids closed at 12:01pm ET on Thursday, with the winning bid totalling $7,803,000. With minutes to go before the deadline, there had been only three bids with the highest at $6.5m. 

The jerseys included Messi's shirt from the first half of the World Cup final, the semi-final against Croatia, the quarter-final against Holland, and the round-of 16 match vs. Australia, as well two of the three group-stage games. 

It was hoped they could fetch at least $10m (£8m), which could have been a record for a ‘sports memorabilia collection’.

The highest fee paid for an item of sports memorabilia is Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 - from the famed ‘Last Dance’ season - which sold for $10.1m (£8.1m) last September at Sotheby’s New York.

The most expensive piece of music memorabilia, by comparison, is Kurt Cobain’s guitar from an MTV Unplugged performance in 1993 - just five months before he died. That sold for £4.2m in 2020.

Messi's shirts are still the most valuable piece of sports memorablia sold at auction this year. The $7.8m bid also ranks among the highest figures ever paid and surpassed the previous record for Messi mementos. Last year, a Barcelona shirt he wore in El Clasico in 2017 sold for $450,000.

Last month, meanwhile, an eye-watering first bid was made for these jerseys - setting the bar at a whopping $5.2m (rising to $6.3m with buyer's premium). 

That first bid topped previous winning bids for game-worn jerseys, such as Kobe Bryant's 2007-2008 MVP season jersey ($5.8m), Babe Ruth's 1928-1930 New York Yankees jersey ($5.6m) and LeBron James' 2013 NBA Finals Game 7 jersey ($3.6m). 

Previously, meanwhile, Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' jersey fetched $9.3m.

Messi is considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time and World Cup victory in Qatar was the crowning moment of his remarkable career.

Despite losing its opening game to Saudi Arabia, Argentina went all the way, eventually beating France in a dramatic final.

Messi finished the tournament with seven goals and three assists, including two goals in the final. 

Following the World Cup, Messi left Europe to join Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. He has since helped the club win its first trophy -Leagues Cup - and was also awarded his eighth Ballon d'Or.