Pelé Brazil National Team 1957 Signed and Inscribed Match Shirt | Provenance from Teammate Baldocchi

Pele gift to Teammate Baldocchi,

Goldin,

Property of a Private Collector

Sotheby's is proud to present this 1957 Brazil National Team game shirt, signed and inscribed by Pelé.

In 1957, Pelé made his debut for the Brazil national football team at just 16 years old, beginning one of the most celebrated international careers in football history. He first appeared for Brazil on July 7, 1957, in a 2–1 loss to Argentina and scored Brazil’s only goal, becoming the youngest player ever to score for the national team. Although he only made a handful of appearances for Brazil that year, Pelé immediately showcased his extraordinary talent, scoring twice in his first two international matches. 

The inscription on the jersey says "To my friend a hug from Edson = Pele." The shirt is accompanied by a letter of provenance from 1970 World Cup Teammate Baldocchi. This piece is accompanied by a letter from James Spence Authentication in regards to the signatures. This jersey is also accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Mears.

Going Deeper | Pele

Often considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, Pele joined Santos FC as a 15-year old youngster in 1956. He quickly developed into one of the league’s most prolific scorers and attracted the attention of the Brazilian national team. By the age of 16, Pele was already a frequent goalscorer at the Brazilian club level. 

He gained national recognition as a prodigious forward on Brazil’s 1958 FIFA World Cup championship squad. In six total matches, Pele scored 6 goals, which tied him for the second most of any player in the tournament. Additionally, he was named to the World Cup All-Star Team as one of the top 11 players at the World Cup. 

Pele went on to help Brazil recapture the Jules Rimet trophy as World Cup champions in both 1962 and 1970. His three World Cup victories are the most of any player in the history of football. 

On the club level with Santos, Pele continued to star for nearly two decades. In 19 seasons, the superstar netted 643 total goals. This mark stood as the most goals scored for a single club for over 40 years until it was finally surpassed by Lionel Messi in 2020. 

Upon joining the New York Cosmos in 1975, Pele brought a new level of popularity to ‘The Beautiful Game’ in the United States. Most notably, he led the Cosmos to the 1977 Soccer Bowl (NASL Championship) in his third and final season with the club. Thanks in large part to Pele, New York Cosmos matches set multiple attendance records including an NASL-record crowd of 77,691 spectators for the Cosmos’ 1977 playoffs match against the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers.

Pele was named as a joint winner of FIFA Player of the Century alongside Diego Maradona. After retiring, he remained in the public view as a global icon and ambassador of football until his death in 2022.