Fever pitch: Why sports memorabilia and collectables have become big business
As a summer of stellar international sport kicks off, many investors are finding lucrative opportunities in fandom
The iconic blue shirt worn by Pelé during Brazil’s 1958 World Cup final win is being auctioned online by Sotheby’s next week. Bidding will run from 29 June to 16 July 2026, three days before this year’s World Cup final, and the shirt is expected to sell for around $6 million (£4.52 million), which would make it one of the most valuable pieces of sports memorabilia ever.
The auction comes more than 20 years after a private collector paid £70,505 ($105,600) for the shirt when it was auctioned by a Brazilian museum. The fact that the piece could now fetch around 60 times its 2004 price reflects a growing desire for sports memorabilia in recent years.
“I’ve been in this space since 2010. The values we’re seeing in sports memorabilia today would have been absurd back then. The whole category has moved from a sentimental hobby on the periphery of culture to a recognised asset class,” says Adam Partington, commercial director at ColleXable. This new collectables platform, launching in early August, is working with a host of famous names to bring previously unseen items to the market, including former Tottenham Hotspur player and winner of the 1978 World Cup with Argentina, Ossie Ardiles.
An alternative to traditional assets
The boom in sports memorabilia saw the global collectables market valued at $100 billion in 2025, according to Morgan Stanley estimates. The market, which includes shirts, balls, boots, and trading cards, is expected to grow 6 per cent annually through to 2027.
Nostalgia is the main driver behind collectors’ enthusiasm for sports memorabilia. “I’ve seen this personally over the years of building a strong network of football legends and having them sign items that have gone into modern collections,” says Partington “Millennials are buying back their childhoods. The players whose memorabilia is hitting auction peaks are the ones they grew up watching.”
And while the likes of Pelé appeal to a slightly older crowd, as legends of the game, they are the exception that proves the rule. “He is almost mythical… His name carries weight,” as Partington puts it. Another reason that more Millennial – and Gen Z for that matter – collectors are stepping into the market is because they’re looking for alternative investments that have the potential to grow in value.
“Rather than investing in big oil, big pharma or even bonds, Millennials are pursuing authentic, culturally meaningful and honest assets that offer both personal enjoyment and financial potential,” says Werner Freundel, director and valuer at Cotswolds-based Chorley’s Auctioneers.
Partington adds that, “Millennials are now in peak earning years, and they want assets that mean something to them, not generic luxury.” On top of this, Millennials and the younger generations have largely found themselves locked out of traditional asset classes, like housing. They’re also likely to be more “cynical of traditional investment routes, so collectibles offer a ‘sexier' alternative,” Partington argues.
The emergence of live-selling platforms has also made collectibles more accessible for younger collectors. “The barrier to entering this market is lower than it has ever been. There has been a sizable change since 2010, when social media was limited, digital communities had not yet properly formed, and live shopping wasn't born,” Partington notes.
Finding value in the memorabilia market
When it comes to finding investment opportunities in the collectibles market, not all sports memorabilia is created equal. The value of a piece of sports memorabilia depends on its rarity, condition, authenticity, historical significance, and player or team association.
“Match-worn [shirt] examples from Pelé, [Diego] Maradona, [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, and those placed within the true legendary category, are the real top collector grails, with an emphasis on items that have relevant certification and high-resolution image photomatching,” says Adam Whittaker, a full-time memorabilia seller. He left a career in pharmacy and is now known as The Yorkshire Collector, focused specifically on selling trading cards.
Condition is probably the most important factor determining a card’s value. A 1958 Alifabolaget rookie Pelé card in mint condition (graded nine out of 10 by PSA, a third-party authenticator) was auctioned for $976,000 (£738,000) earlier this month. Meanwhile, a 3.5-graded version of the same card is currently being sold through PSA’s eBay store for $50,000 (£37,850).
With regard to sports trading cards, Whittaker explains that collecting them has been part of sports culture in the US for decades. However, it’s only really taken off in the UK since the pandemic (perhaps, unsurprisingly, rising in tandem with renewed interest in other trading cards such as Pokémon). As with the desire to buy match-worn shirts, behind the shift is a combination of nostalgia and discovery.
“Collectors who grew up opening football card packs are returning to the hobby, while a younger audience is entering the category for the first time through social media and community-led collecting,” says Whittaker. “Cards are an accessible way to build a connection with the players and teams they follow, at a time when going to matches is getting more expensive.”
While there will be some collectors who buy cards just for the fun of it, plenty take it seriously, tracking the performance of players. A surprise win at this year’s World Cup could elevate a player’s value. Likewise, an earlier-than-expected elimination could suppress a player’s value. Collectors tracking match-by-match may look to sell when they believe hype around a player is at its peak. However, much like trading stocks, timing the market perfectly is extremely difficult.
There will also be a fair share of collectors wanting to keep hold of their cards indefinitely. If they believe a player of the current generation will go on to achieve legendary status, then their card is more likely to appreciate in value in the future. Plus, a piece of memorabilia associated with one of today’s players will likely be considered vintage 20 years from now.
Regardless of whether it’s cards, shirts or other memorabilia being collected, Freundel recommends remembering there’s a premium attached to nostalgia. He says: “Understanding the nostalgia cycle can help predict the 'next big thing’ in collecting trends. Collectors can anticipate emerging demand and invest in assets before they become highly sought after.”
