Last week, The John Terry Collection Auction went under the hammer at Goldin. For collectors, it was a rare opportunity: a chance to acquire match-worn shirts from Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, not from a club archive or private source, but directly from the personal collection of a former elite player.
In total, more than fifty items were offered, including match-worn shirts from John Terry himself, as well as shirts he had swapped with other players over the course of his career.
Messi wins again
The top-selling item was a rare orange 2006–07 FC Barcelona away shirt, worn by Lionel Messi. Its authenticity was reinforced through photomatching and a signed Letter of Provenance from John Terry. That combination of visual evidence and firsthand provenance proved decisive: bidding eventually came to a halt at $150,000.
Record sales for Ronaldo and Henry
A match-worn Manchester United shirt from Cristiano Ronaldo followed at $95,000. According to Goldin, it marked an all-time public auction record for any Cristiano Ronaldo jersey. The shirt was also signed – though not with the strongest example of his autograph – and included a dedication to “J.T.” (John Terry, ed.). While such a dedication adds personal context, it also limits the number of collectors for whom the item holds universal appeal, a factor that may have weighed on its final price, even in a record-setting sale.
Third highest was an Arsenal shirt worn and signed by Thierry Henry. The shirt dates back to the iconic Invincibles season of 2003–04, when Arsenal went unbeaten in the Premier League. The result – $81,000 – also set a new all-time public auction record for any Thierry Henry jersey, according to Goldin. Despite the added inscription, “To John Keep Up The Good Work!”, the historical weight of the shirt clearly resonated with collectors.
Beyond the shirts, other items drew attention as well. Presentation replica trophies of the FA Cup and Premier League, issued directly to players, each sold for more than $20,000. Their appeal lay not in match use, but in scarcity: objects rarely seen on the open market.
Harry Kane, quietly undervalued
And even in an auction surrounded by hype and headline prices, there was room for a surprise. A match-issued and signed Tottenham Hotspur shirt from Harry Kane sold for just $900, a real bargain. One suspects the buyer celebrated that win quietly afterwards.
