Take a look at ten of the rarest & most expensive pieces of football memorabilia

Do you have a piece of football memorabilia gathering dust on the shelf at home? It’s unlikely that it’ll be worth millions, but you never know! Today we’re looking at some of the most rare and expensive football memorabilia items that have ever been sold.

Granted, many of us can only dream to ever afford any one of these close-to-priceless pieces. Perhaps there’d be better luck winning big playing one of the many popular AU casino games  with football themes. But here’s what might be on offer if you’re ever in the market…

1. Sheffield’s Club Rules

Who ever thought that a set of rules could be worth so much? Sheffield fans showed that their rule book was one to treasure forever when the item sold for a huge $1.24M in 2023. The rule book, said to be the basis of much of modern football, is indeed an item worthy of the price tag.

2. FA Cup trophy

The FA Cup is a prestigious football competition that has been played for over 100 years. The cup itself is obviously a prized piece of memorabilia for any footy fanatic. One of the iterations of the cup, an early model, the second making of the cup, dating back to 1896 and, in use for over 10 years, was sold in 2005 for just under a million dollars.

3. Maradona’s World Cup match jersey

Diego Maradona, one of, if not the most celebrated football player in history, is a contender on our list for one of his prized items. Namely, this item was from the final game in the World Cup where he landed a winning goal in the competition. The price tag for the shirt that he was wearing that day? A cool $8.95M, which went at auction in 2022, and currently stands at the most valuable football memorabilia piece in history.

4. A replica of the Jules Rimet trophy

Who would’ve thought that a replica trophy could bring in as much as $300,000 to the seller? That was the price paid for a replica of the World Cup trophy for 1966. As the story goes, the real Jules Rimet trophy was stolen from Westminster Central Hall before being recovered in Upper Norwood, South London by a dog called Pickles. The FA then secretly manufactured a replica as a security measure which was auctioned in 1997 for £254,500 – being bought by FIFA. The original had been stolen in 1983 from Brazil and has never been officially recovered.

5. USA club pin

USA hasn’t always been known for its talent in soccer, instead preferring ball sports like gridiron and lacrosse. However, in the 80s, the club decided to fundraise for the team to get some cash in the bank; producing a number of pure gold pins. The pins themselves cost $5000 at the time for individual contributions to the soccer team, whereas businesses had to cough up $50,000 for one.

6. Chelsea vs Moscow ticket

If there was ever a ticket to keep from a game attendance, it’d want to be a ticket from the Chelsea vs Moscow game in 1945. The game itself was set against the backdrop of the end of World War 2, following the defeat of Germany by the British and Russian allies. Tickets from this match will fetch around $2500.

7. Nobby Stiles’ World Cup medal

English player Nobby Stiles was a key figure in England’s 1966 victory against Germany in the World Cup. A thrilling finish meant that fans were clamoring to get a piece of the memorabilia action and Nobby’s medal for the winning team fetched a tidy $260,000 sum in 2010.

8. Pelé’s 1000 goal crown

The Brazilian hero, Pelé, is known throughout the world for his outstanding ball skills and longevity in the game. On the event of his 1000th professional football goal, the government gave Pelé a crown, representing his symbolism as a king of the football world and the pride of Brazil. The crown features a big M, a football, and ornate silver and gold carvings alongside red plush material. The crown now sits with the highest bidder after the item was snapped up at auction for $25,000

9. Alan Ball’s 1966 World Cup Medal

Yes, that’s 1966 – whereas our previous World Cup medal belonging to Nobby was in 1996. Alan Ball, an English national, was man of the match in the World Cup final played all the way back in 1966. Ball was a celebrated player at the time and played across three clubs throughout his prestigious career. The World Cup medal itself went for $230,000.

10. Gordon Banks’ 1966 World Cup medal

Alongside Alan Ball in the 1966 World Cup was England’s goalkeeper, Gordon Banks. A feared goalie, his medal fetched $170,000 at auction in 2001.

Take a look at ten of the rarest & most expensive pieces of football memorabilia