Throughout the 20th century, the Ecuadorian-American soccer fan, numismatist, and museum curator Rony J. Almeida created a vast collection of soccer memorabilia to preserve the history of “The Beautiful Game” in South America. His collection of rare futbol collectibles is now being sold through Goldin Auctions.
The Almeida collection includes 131 lots with more than 100 never-before-seen medals, trophies, game-used equipment, and more from 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics, numerous South American championships, and the very first FIFA World Cup, held in 1930 in Montevideo, Uruguay. A lace-style ball from 1901 and match-used soccer boots dating back nearly a century are among the fascinating items on the block.
“We have auctioned off countless memorabilia collections over the years,” said Ken Goldin Founder of Goldin Auctions. “But the time and effort Rony put into this collection is truly remarkable and it’s an honor to be making this one-of-a kind soccer collection available to the public.”
Every item has a championship pedigree, from the gold medal given to Uruguay’s goalkeeper Andres “El Buzo” Mazali for winning the soccer tournament at the 1924 Paris Summer Olympics, to the World Cup trophy presented to the renowned Argentine-Italian forward of Juventus, Raimundo Orsi.
The complete collection can be viewed here.
Related Stories:
Lionel Messi’s Cleats from Pele Record-Breaking Goal Head to Charity Auction
Mason Greenwood Rookie Cards Ignite Soccer Market
Collector From Italy Owns 6,000 Soccer Tickets — Including World Cup Stubs — And Publishes Guide
Soccer Icon Akers Consigns Collection to Boost Horse Rescue Foundation
Wagner Bat Soars to $442,800 at Goldin Auctions
Reggie Jackson Jersey at Auction Appears on at Least 3 of His Baseball Cards
Zion’s Game-Worn Shoes (No, Not Those Shoes) Coming to Auction
