Lionel Messi shirt outsells Cristiano Ronaldo as John Terry auction raises just over $695,000 | OneFootball

Lionel Messi’s match-worn Barcelona shirt fetched more than Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United top as John Terry auctioned more than 50 personal items, raising just over $695,000.

ESPN reports that the Messi shirt, worn in a 2006 Champions League tie against Chelsea, sold for $183,000 (£144,000/€168,000), while the Ronaldo shirt made $115,900 (£85,000/€99,000).

The pair are widely regarded as the outstanding players of their generation, with 13 Ballons d’Or between them, Messi holding eight.

Terry wrote on Instagram that the bright orange Barcelona kit was rarely seen and called the shirt special, adding that as a defender he stayed close to Messi at Stamford Bridge and moved nearer late on to secure the swap.

The Messi shirt is now the fourth-most expensive football shirt ever, surpassing the $116,000 (£91,750/€105,000) paid for Geoff Hurst’s 1966 World Cup final top.

Beyond shirts, Terry sold memorabilia including replica trophies, the costliest a copy of the 2007 FA Cup trophy at $26,840 (£20,150/€23,500). A portion of the proceeds will go to the John Terry Foundation, which supports disadvantaged young people in the United Kingdom.

Source: Goal.com