This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/29/2019
This jersey boasts an epic lineage, worn by the great Pelé, widely regarded as the greatest soccer player in history. The Brazilian represented his native country four times in the World Cup (1958-70) and anchored the storied Santos FC in his home country for nearly two decades (1956-74). He spent his last three playing years (1975-77) with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. Though well past his prime, Pelé still dominated in his late 30’s and led the Cosmos to the NASL title in his final season. While the league was short-lived, he had an enormous impact on launching the popularization of soccer in the U.S.
With that kind of pedigree comes this rare green cotton Cosmos jersey donned by the Brazilian legend, circa 1975. It features the Cosmos crest stitched into the left chest and three stars on the right. The V-neck collar and both sleeve ends have white and green elastic trim. The iconic number "10" that Pelé always wore is sewn on the right sleeve with a much larger "10" on the back in white numbers outline in yellow. Tagged behind the collar by Brazil manufacturer Athleta, "Official 10" is labeled on the front of the tag and "Made in Brazil" on the reverse. Based on this and the earlier style of the shirt, we believe it dates to his first season in the NASL. It shows obvious and consistent wear throughout, with stretching, puckering, fraying, sweat staining and various contact marks giving it a tremendous amount of authentic character. It was sourced from the former Brazil National Team technical coordinator, who has signed the included letter of authenticity.