What are the most expensive game-worn jerseys by sport? Could any break Babe Ruth’s record?

Babe Ruth’s “called shot” jersey from the 1932 World Series sold for $24.12 million over the weekend, becoming the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever. But what are currently the most expensive game-worn jerseys in other sports, what could be the item to break the new record, and what could be the first women’s sports jersey to break the $1-million mark? We asked the experts.

Jordan 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 — $10.091 million

This previously held the record for most expensive piece of sports memorabilia (not including trading cards) ever, before the Ruth jersey soared past it. “The Last Dance,” ESPN’s 10-part documentary on Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Bulls, first aired in 2020 and supercharged the already robust interest in Jordan items, as well as items related to the 1998 Finals. Two years later, the jersey that Jordan wore in Game 1 of the series, which featured heavily in “The Last Dance,” hit the auction block.

Jordan scored 33 points in Game 1, but the Utah Jazz beat his Bulls 88-85 in overtime. Yes, the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia in the world over the last few years was a jersey that Michael Jordan wore in a game he didn’t even win. Of course, the Bulls went on to win the series 4-2, claiming their sixth and final NBA title in a span of eight years.

Maradona 1986 World Cup Quarterfinal — $9.28 million

Before the Jordan jersey, this held the sports memorabilia record…for a few months, anyway. Although it’s a shirt that was “only” worn in a quarterfinal, Diego Maradona donned it as he performed not one, but two of the most iconic acts in soccer history. In the second half of Argentina’s quarterfinal against England, Maradona broke a scoreless deadlock by scoring twice in a space of four minutes — first in supremely controversial fashion by jumping up and using his hand to knock the ball into the England net. The referee thought he had used his head instead of his hand and allowed the goal to stand. Dubbed “The Hand of God,” the goal remains one of the most talked about and hotly debated moments in World Cup history.

But Maradona wasn’t finished. Soon after, he scored what became known as the “Goal of the Century,” gliding through England defenders on his way to scoring an incredible solo goal that encapsulated his brilliance as a player and fans still worship him today. Argentina won the match 2-1 and went on to win their second World Cup.

Maradona wore a different shirt for each half of the quarterfinal against England, but the shirt that sold in 2022 was photomatched to the second half, when he scored both goals. As a point of reference, a lot of six Lionel Messi jerseys worn during Argentina’s World Cup-winning run in 2022 sold together last year for $7.8 million. Despite Messi’s massive popularity, the legend of Maradona and those memorable two goals still reign supreme among soccer jerseys.

Gretzky 1988 Stanley Cup Game 4 — $1.452 million

This is the last jersey that “The Great One” wore as a member of the Oilers, before joining the LA Kings, St. Louis Blues and then the New York Rangers. It was also the jersey he wore when he lifted the Stanley Cup for the fourth and final time with the Oilers after they beat the Boston Bruins in four games. That fourth game was a strange one, though — with the score tied in the second period, the power went out at the Boston Garden, forcing the game to be suspended. Then NHL president John Ziegler ruled that the game would be replayed in Boston at the end of the series, if needed. Two days later, the series resumed in Edmonton and the Oilers completed the sweep, with Wayne Gretzky scoring a goal and adding two assists.

The jersey is “covered in champagne stains from the Championship celebration, stick and puck marks, loose threads and multiple repairs to the sleeves,” according to the listing by Grey Flannel Auctions, which sold it in 2022.

Brady 2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers — $1.391 million

Tom Brady threw for 329 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the 2022 NFC divisional round playoff game between the Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams, but it wasn’t enough. The Rams won 30-27, after the Buccs mounted a comeback from being down 27-3, and went on to win the Super Bowl on their home field. For Tom Brady, though, January 23 in Tampa marked the end of a legendary career that included a record seven Super Bowl wins.

Unlike the previously mentioned jerseys, this one is autographed. And not only did Brady sign it, he also added a unique inscription: “My last game G.O.A.T. out!”

Yet even with that added touch, and the fact that football is far and away the most popular sport in the U.S. today, the record-holding football jersey still sold for less than the records for baseball, basketball, soccer and hockey. Of course, the other difference between this jersey and the others is that it isn’t tied to a title-winning run.

So now that there’s a lofty new sports memorabilia record, what could potentially surpass the Ruth jersey sale? And what could be the first women’s sports jersey to top $1 million? The Athletic asked three industry experts for their opinions.

Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions

“There are several trading cards that would surpass the price of this Babe Ruth jersey today, including a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 10 — Mantle’s first Topps card, at the highest grade — and the famous T206 Honus Wagner in a PSA 8. Both cards were featured on Season Two of King of Collectibles on Netflix, and I’ve had an offer turned down for $28 million on just the Mantle card alone.

“With respect to game jerseys, I believe that if it ever surfaced, the actual jersey worn by Jackie Robinson on April 15, 1947, his Major League debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers, would easily surpass the Ruth jersey. Robinson’s jersey is the most important jersey ever worn in American sports history, as on that day, he broke the color barrier in baseball.

“For a more modern example, Michael Jordan’s game six 1998 NBA Finals jersey from his final championship game, could come close. As more time passes since Jordan’s career-defining moments, we’re seeing more records broken for his memorabilia. We recently auctioned a 2003-2004 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection autographed Michael Jordan Logoman card at Goldin for $2.928 million — a new record for a Jordan trading card.”

Grey Flannel Auctions staff

“It is hard to say with confidence that anything else can fetch that kind of price, but the market continues to amaze. The Ruth sale indicates that we are heading in the direction of fine art and wine prices. If anyone in particular could do it, it would be MJ. More specifically, his gamer from game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals would be a very heavy hitter. In 2009, we sold what is likely Jordan’s first ever Bulls game jersey, which would fetch a large number today. The hobby really loves bookends.”

Calleja, Altan Insights

“It’s all about the moment. There are great debut jerseys that would sell for millions if they ever came to auction, such as Jackie Robinson’s MLB debut Dodgers jersey, but the debut market has never been comparable to the market for memorabilia tied to an iconic moment.

“The jerseys that come to mind would be Michael Jordan’s (from the) 1998 NBA Finals Game 6, when he hit a game-winner vs. the Utah Jazz, or the one he wore in Game 5 of the 1991 title for his first championship. There’s nothing within the NFL or NHL market that will challenge Ruth’s jersey anytime soon, and the soccer market has peaked at least for now after the ‘Hand of God’ and Messi World Cup jersey sales.

“The jersey worn by Wilt Chamberlain for his 100 point game carries a similar aura and mystique to the Ruth jersey but is secure in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The most expensive non-game-worn piece of memorabilia would likely be the Scotty Cameron red dot putter used by Tiger Woods over the course of his storied career. We’ve seen red dot putters and Tiger-used irons sell for millions already, and the Scotty Cameron red dot used by Tiger to win 13 majors would easily appraise for eight-figures, although it is unlikely to ever surface at public auction anytime soon.”

Goldin: “It has to be Caitlin Clark, right? She’s entered unprecedented territory as an athlete and raised the profile of an entire sport. The jersey from her record-breaking game at Iowa should easily top $250,000. As she continues to break basketball records, there’s no limit to how valuable her merchandise could get.”

Grey Flannel: “Again, it is hard to say with confidence because the prices unfortunately just have not realized this threshold yet. Hypothetically — if/when Caitlin Clark does something wild in a huge spot, it would be exciting to see what the market would say. Honorable mention: Brandi Chastain’s match-worn kit from the 1999 World Cup.”

Calleja: “The market for women’s game-worn is all but non-existent unfortunately at the high-end. There have been notable game-used results over the years, for example, Bonham’s sold the racket used by Billie Jean King in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match for $125,000, but nothing of substance from the jersey side.

“I think it would have to be something related to Serena Williams. She’s cemented herself among the greatest athletes — male or female — of all-time and had multiple iconic moments. The first that comes to mind would be the yellow Puma tank she wore in the 1999 U.S. Open Final to secure her first Grand Slam. The other would be the black Puma tank she wore to beat Venus in the 2002 U.S. Open. The win came at a time where the sisters were both playing incredible tennis and America was dominating the women’s game. There have been rumors around other items — such as Brandi Chastain’s sports bra that (appeared on) the cover of Sports Illustrated and Newsweek after the 1999 Women’s World Cup, but there’s no substance to date within the women’s soccer market that would justify anything close to a million-dollar sale.”