Hope Solo’s World Cup treasures sell for staggering price at star-studded auction originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Hope Solo’s World Cup treasures sell for staggering price at star-studded auction Hope Solo made her name by stopping shots on soccer’s biggest stage. More than a decade after leading the United States to a World Cup championship, some of the goalkeeper’s most recognizable pieces of memorabilia generated another eye-opening result.
Solo’s personal collection sold for a combined $258,932 in the Lelands 2026 Summer Classic Auction, according to results announced by the auction house Monday. The collection was consigned directly by Solo and featured several pieces from the United States women’s national team’s triumphant run through the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Her championship ring from the tournament commanded the highest price, selling for $48,556. Solo’s signed, match-worn and photo-matched uniform from the World Cup final brought in another $40,743, while her FIFA Golden Glove Award sold for $32,866. Those three pieces alone generated more than $122,000.
Hope Solo’s World Cup memorabilia commands massive prices
Solo played every minute of the United States’ seven games during the 2015 World Cup, allowing only three goals and recording five clean sheets. The Americans defeated Japan 5-2 in the final in Vancouver, capturing their first World Cup championship since 1999. Solo received the Golden Glove as the tournament’s top goalkeeper after anchoring a defense that did not surrender a goal for 540 consecutive minutes.
That history helped make her collection one of the defining attractions of the Lelands auction, which concluded Aug. 15. Solo finished her international career with 202 appearances, 153 victories and 102 shutouts. She also won two Olympic gold medals and remains one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in the history of international soccer.
Her collection was not the only one to attract aggressive bidding. The personal collection of boxing Hall of Famer Marvin Hagler realized a combined $370,798. Two championship belts from Hagler’s 1980 victory over Alan Minter led the way, with his WBA Middleweight Championship belt selling for $80,670 and his Ring Magazine belt fetching $73,170.
Hagler’s fight-worn trunks, which were photo-matched to multiple bouts between 1978 and 1980, sold for $77,503. A championship belt presented after his 1984 title defense against Mustafa Hamsho brought in $60,197.
Lou Gehrig items join Solo and Hagler among auction standouts
Baseball history also produced some of the auction’s biggest prices. Lou Gehrig’s original 1933 New York Yankees player contract, signed by the legendary first baseman, sold for $90,190. A baseball signed only by Gehrig during the late 1930s went for $92,050.
Gehrig was entering the heart of his historic career in 1933. He played all 152 games for the Yankees that season and hit .334 with 32 home runs, 139 RBIs and a 1.030 OPS.
Another piece of baseball history came from Shohei Ohtani’s unprecedented 50-homer, 50-steal season. The second base used during the game in which Ohtani reached both milestones sold for $73,812. A full ticket from Roberto Clemente’s 3,000th and final career hit commanded $48,815. Michael Jordan’s game-used baseball bat from his 1994 season in the Chicago White Sox organization sold for $41,700.
Jordan also appeared elsewhere among the auction’s biggest sales. A 1996 Flair Showcase Legacy Collection Row 0 card featuring the NBA legend brought in $75,729, while a 1989 Sports Illustrated issue personally owned by Jordan sold for $13,148.
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Historic tickets, trophies and championship pieces find buyers
The highest price among the additional featured items belonged to the owner’s trophy from Curlin’s victory in the 2007 Preakness Stakes, which sold for $92,483. A full ticket to the Top of the World Trade Center observatories dated Sept. 10, 2001, and graded PSA MINT 9, sold for $29,565. Lelands described it as the only example at that grade.
A full ticket from LeBron James’ NBA debut on Oct. 29, 2003, fetched $24,323. James scored 25 points and added nine assists, six rebounds and four steals for the Cleveland Cavaliers in his first regular-season game. A championship ring presented to assistant coach Craig Patrick following the United States’ “Miracle on Ice” victory at the 1980 Winter Olympics sold for $20,012.
The auction also included Michael Strahan’s signed, game-worn and photo-matched New York Giants jersey from Sept. 7, 1997, which brought in $16,064. Knicks championship banners from the franchise’s Westchester practice facility, commemorating its 1970 and 1973 NBA titles, sold for $9,692.
Still, Solo’s collection carried a special significance. Her ring, uniform and individual award did more than commemorate one of the greatest runs in U.S. soccer history. The final prices showed how strongly that championship continues to resonate with collectors more than 10 years later.
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