Six Argentina shirts worn by soccer's greatest player Lionel Messi during their World Cup-winning run last year have sold for $US7.8 million ($A11.6 million) at auction house Sotheby's.

The final price for the shirts, each worn during the first half of one of Argentina's games at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, is the highest price for any item of sports memorabilia this year, Sotheby's said.

Argentina defeated France in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw in the final, winning their third World Cup.

The victory, in which Messi scored two of Argentina's three goals, represented a crowning moment for the little wizard now widely regarded as the sport's greatest player.

"These historic shirts are not only a tangible reminder of one of the most important moments in the history of sports, but are principally connected to the pinnacle moment in the career of the most decorated football player in history," Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's head of modern collectibles, said.

The shirts were on display at Sotheby's New York headquarters during the two-week online auction that ended on Thursday.

No information on the winning bidder was released.

Sotheby's said a portion of the auction proceeds would be donated to the UNICAS Project, led by Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Children's Hospital with the support of the Leo Messi Foundation, to help children suffering from rare diseases.

The 36-year-old, who currently plays for Inter Miami in the MLS, spent 17 years at Barcelona. He has won the Ballon d'Or, presented annually to the game's top player, a record eight times.

Sotheby's had hoped the Messi shirts might set an auction record for game-worn sports memorabilia, but that didn't happen.

The record for a game-worn item of sports memorabilia remains Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which sold for $US10.1 million ($A15.1 million) at Sotheby's in New York last year.