Pele's jersey scores a record-breaking $224,000 in auction.

New stadium in Mexico to be named after Pelé

A biography on soccer legend, Pelé.

Pelé's used jersey scores a whopping $224,000 in auction.

Written by Ozzie Gonzalez, Latinosportslegends.com

March 27, 2002 -- A used soccer jersey of Brazilian soccer legend, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known globally as "Pelé," was sold at an auction this morning for a whopping $224,600.

The shirt which was worn by Pelé during his country's 4-1 thrashing of Italy in the final of the 1970 World Cup.

The yellow and green number "10" team shirt sold to a private collector whose telephone bid of $224,600 more than tripled its pre-sale estimate and topped the previous world record by more than 50 percent.

With the 2002 World Cup coming up in May, there seems to be an increased hype about soccer everywhere. This was evident at the auction where 277 lots of soccer memorabilia from shirts to caps, medals, programs, pictures and comics where sold.

The previous record for a soccer shirt sold at auction was held by Geoff Hurst whose team top from England's 1966 World Cup final 4-2 victory over Germany fetched 91,750 pounds in 2000.

"We are absolutely delighted by the sale of the Pelé shirt," Rik Pike, spokesman for auctioneers Christie's. "This is an incredible result."

Pelé, who is often called "the King of Football,'' helped Brazil win World Cups in 1958, 1962 and 1970. In the 1970 World Cup, which was held in México, Pelé scored one goal and assisted 2 for Brazil's win against Italy.

He was inducted into the Soccer Hall of Fame in 1993.