Shirts belonging to global icons like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have long dominated the ultra-valuable memorabilia market. But the explosion in demand over the past year has pushed new names into the same bracket with one of Saka’s England shirts recently fetching more than £29,000, according to Match Worn Shirt, the company powering the boom.

The shirt was worn during England’s dramatic Nations League win over Spain in September, where Saka produced a stunning solo goal that went viral worldwide. Within minutes of the final whistle, auction bids were already spiraling.

“Collectors are driven by two forces,” James Flude, head of business development at Match Worn Shirt, tells Mirror Football. “You’ve got the megastars that will always attract huge numbers players like Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappé. And then you’ve got moment-driven demand. When something truly unforgettable happens in a match, fans want to own that piece of history.”

That trend is exploding. Shirts worn by players during iconic or bizarre incidents are becoming goldmines.

A shirt worn by Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia during Napoli’s Champions League semi-final last spring recently sold for £37,000, driven by his outrageous back-heel assist that became one of the season’s defining highlights.

Another stunning example came in August when Alphonso Davies’ Bayern shirt from a match in which he clocked a Bundesliga record top speed drew bids past £28,000, with fans desperate to own “the fastest shirt in history.”

“The moment is everything,” Flude says. “If a player scores a world-class goal, breaks a record, or produces something fans will remember forever the value shoots up before the game is even finished.”

Hidden in a climate-controlled warehouse in the Netherlands, Match Worn Shirt stores thousands of unwashed, game-used shirts from grass-stained Premier League kits to dirt-covered international tops.

“They absolutely have to remain unwashed,” Flude explains. “Sweat, mud, even the smell it all proves authenticity. Some collectors specifically want the shirt exactly as it came off the player’s back.”

One top-flight European club even requested the company install specialist lockers designed to neutralize player DNA without removing stains a step introduced after a high-profile incident involving biological residue on a shirt.

The buyer base is a mix of wealthy super-fans, investors betting on rising values, and parents wanting a unique gift.

“You’ve got people dropping £40,000 because they genuinely love a player,” Flude says, “and then you’ve got others treating shirts like commodities. Both groups are growing fast.”

The record still belongs to a Ronaldo shirt worn against Hungary sold for more than £54,000 but experts believe that figure will soon be dwarfed.

With the 2026 World Cup approaching, Match Worn Shirt expects unprecedented demand.

“We’re hoping to have shirts from all 48 teams,” Flude says. “And yes we’d love a World Cup final shirt on our platform next year. That’s the dream for collectors.”