Mark your calendars folks! This June should be one of the most exciting months for all you football fans because the biggest auction in sports history is coming your way. A vast collection of about 2000 items of memorabilia owned by Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, the great Brazilian footballer and also a humanitarian campaigner, will be auctioned at Julien’s Auctions in London.  

A collaboration between luxury Swiss watchmaker Hublot and Pelé, who is a Hublot ambassador since 2013, “Pelé – The Collection” Auction aims to celebrate the history of the world-renowned athlete and benefit children and the future generations. 

This live auction will be held over three consecutive days, from June 7^th to the 9^th, where all bidders can participate online from any part of the world. The auction includes some of the most coveted awards won by the man himself, such as the Jules Rimet Trophy, Pelé’s 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cup medals,  the ball with which he scored his 1,000th, his NY Cosmos NASL Championship ring won in the year 1977, his last season as a professional and his L’Equipe Athlete of the Century Award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The collection, which is already on display at the Mall Galleries, one of central London’s largest and the most illustrious exhibition spaces, represents all stages of Pelé’s career and displays his medals, trophies, signed footballs and jerseys among other legendary items.

Pelé was voted as the Player of the Century by FIFA, holds a number of Guinness World Records, is the only player to have won three World Cups, is the youngest player to have played and scored in a World Cup final (aged 17 years and 249 days in 1958), and has scored more goals during his professional career than any footballer in history, netting 1,279 times in 1,363 games, including 126 in 1959.

‘Having donated a significant portion of my collection to the City of Santos, I have decided to allow fans and collectors to own a piece of my history as well. The auction, I want as a witness, a transmission, the passion, the desire, work, courage, that also believe in your dreams and always fight for what really matters”, says Pelé.

According to Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, ‘It’s an incredible honour to work with Pelé, a great footballer, a great legend, and a great man. Since we started collaborating with him in the run up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he has demonstrated incredible grace and charm, and we are proud to call him our friend. We are also delighted to be sponsoring the “Pelé – The Collection” auction and look forward to hosting an event that will be followed by both Pelé and Hublot fans all over the world.”

The legend intends to donate a portion of the proceeds to Pequeno Principe, the largest pediatric hospital in Brazil.