Images: Graham Budd Auctions
Doha: The official match ball which was used during the finals of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will go under the hammer in June for an estimated £160,000-200,000 (up to QR 1million).
The auction will be run by Graham Budd Auctions on June 6 and 7, 2023 which will take place online and at the Northampton auction house. It affirmed that the upcoming bid is already attracting interest from prospective buyers around the world.
In a press release, the head of sporting memorabilia at Graham Budd Auctions, David Convery, said: "This Adidas football is a fascinating and important piece of recent football history alongside what it did for the reputation of players like Messi and Mbappé."
The match ball, named 'Al Hilm' which translates as 'The Dream' in Arabic, was the football that helped seal Argentina's third championship win after a memorable penalty shoot-out against France on the night of December 18 at Lusail Stadium.
The match ball was won by an overseas football fan who participated in the "Win The Match Ball" competition run by Adidas. The winner then decided to auction the ball at a sports memorabilia auction.
"The overseas vendor, who wishes to remain anonymous, had to pinch himself when he received the email from Adidas informing him that he has won the 2022 FIFA World Cup final official match ball," the auction house stated.
He said: “I entered the competition without really thinking about it, but when I heard I’d won, I honestly thought it was a scam. I still thought it couldn’t be legit even when the ball arrived. It’s an incredible story to be a part of, and the money it’ll hopefully make will honestly be life-changing.”
The match ball contains a written date of the World Cup finals and more.
The head of sporting memorabilia at Graham Budd Auctions also stated that "the ball is fully authenticated, and we can trace every part of its journey to date.
That’s one of the reasons why we feel confident it’ll reach, or even go beyond, its estimated price."
The auction will feature over 1,500 lots and include a section dedicated to arguably the greatest footballer of all time, Pelé, featuring trophies, awards, and match-worn shirts.
This also includes Pelé's yellow Brazil match shirt which he wore when he scored the last-ever international goal for Brazil in 1971, the value of which is estimated between £100,000-150,000.
