Sir Bobby Charlton: Late England icon's 1966 World Cup semi-final shirt fetches £59,000 at auction

Charlton, who died last month, wore the shirt when he scored twice against Portugal on a famous day at Wembley 57 years ago
Dom Smith14 November 2023

The England shirt worn by Sir Bobby Charlton in the 1966 World Cup semi-final has been sold for £59,040 at auction.

The signed shirt, which was worn by the England legend when he scored both goals in a 2-1 win over Portugal at Wembley, was sold to a private online international bidder.

He donated the iconic shirt, which is still spattered with his blood, to a charity auction in 1968, confirming its authenticity to a close friend and signing it, “To Bill, Best Wishes, Bobby Charlton”.

Sir Bobby Charlton scored twice to send England past Portugal and into the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley
Getty Images

It was sold by Derbyshire-based Hansons Auctioneers.

The shirt came to Hansons via a West Midlands buyer who bought it for £9,200 at an auction in 2000.

The market for signed shirts has taken off in recent years and the record is £7.1million for the shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored twice - including the “Hand of God” goal - to knock England out of the 1986 World Cup.

Charlton’s shirt was sold towards the lower end of its initial guide price of £50,000-£80,000.

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