Fans all wanted a piece of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe memorabilia in the hours after the two soccer stars put on a show in the World Cup final … with auction officials telling TMZ Sports the demand for their items rivaled that of Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Officials from PWCC Marketplace tell us that following the Argentina vs. France tilt on Sunday — items associated with Messi and Mbappe became the most sought-after in their auction space.
Per a rep from the auction house, searches for Messi rose 345 percent from his normal average. Mbappe queries, meanwhile, rose 363 percent.
“Messi was searched nearly three times more than Michael Jordan, more than four times more than LeBron James, and more than five times more than Tom Brady,” PWCC exec Jesse Craig said.
“Messi gilded his career with this victory, and demand for his cards clearly rose in concert with the achievement. The numbers highlight how important an exciting game is for demand in player assets.”
According to a rep for the org., Messi items that were sold on Sunday following the thrilling W.C. finale finished with prices that were “an average 93 percent higher than their insurance value.” As for Mbappe, the rep said the French star’s items “finished an average 17 percent higher.”
One of the most notable sales from the two? A 2017 Topps Messi card fetched $14,400.
PWCC has another auction involving Messi that closes Christmas night … and it doesn’t appear the demand for him — or Mbappe — is slowing down anytime soon.
