For most footballers, the thought of parting with a winner’s medal is unimaginable. These treasured keepsakes are expected to remain long after the final whistle has blown and the cheers of the fans have faded into memory.

However, this week, Steve Finnan, a former Liverpool defender, demonstrated how swiftly that expectation can change. Entangled in a prolonged conflict with his brother and burdened by escalating legal fees, he decided to sell his Champions League medal, a tangible memento from the legendary night in Istanbul.

This serves as a stark reminder that even the most cherished medals can transform into crucial financial resources when players hang up their boots and life’s challenges accumulate.

While the motivations behind such sales differ, the end result remains consistent. Medals that symbolize triumphs on the grandest stages often find their way to auction houses instead of remaining cherished family heirlooms.

Finnan’s situation casts a spotlight on this issue, revealing that the dilemma of selling prized medals has a deeper history within the world of football than many fans might realize.

Steve Finnan enjoyed a strong career at Anfield, winning the Champions League and FA Cup

The Irishman sold his Champions League winners medal in 2020 amid a long legal battle with his brother

Gordon Banks was one of the most celebrated goalkeepers the sport has produced, yet even he felt compelled to part with the medal that marked England’s greatest triumph. 

Banks played every match in the 1966 World Cup and later produced the famous save against Brazil in 1970.

Despite those achievements, he never earned more than £100 a week and retired without anything like the financial security modern professionals enjoy.

His post-football business ventures faltered and the need to support his children eventually forced him into a decision he had never envisaged. In 2001, he placed his World Cup winners’ medal up for auction at Christie’s, where it sold for £124,750.

Banks later said he sold the medal so his children could buy their first homes. He also parted with the cap awarded for the 1966 final, raising £27,025.

Several of Banks’s 1966 teammates would follow the same path as circumstances tightened around them.

George Cohen, another member of the 1966 team, found himself navigating difficult decisions of his own. The Fulham right back was one of the fittest players in Alf Ramsey’s squad and a vital part of the side that lifted the trophy at Wembley.

But his later years were marked by personal tragedy, repeated battles with illness and heavy financial strain after a failed property deal. Although Cohen survived cancer and lived with long-term complications from treatment, he was not insulated from financial pressure.

Gordon Banks played every match in the 1966 World Cup and later produced the famous save against Brazil in 1970

Sir Geoff Hurst, the hat-trick hero of the 1966 final, accepted a substantial offer from West Ham, reported to be around £150,000, to sell his medal

Bobby Moore never sold his medal, but his entire collection was auctioned seven years after his death

In 1998, he sold his World Cup medal to help fund his retirement, and Fulham bought it for £80,000.

Sir Geoff Hurst, the hat-trick hero of the 1966 final, made the same choice. Hurst accepted a substantial offer from West Ham, reportedly around £150,000, to sell his medal so the club could display it alongside the collections of Bobby Moore and Martin Peters in a new museum.

Hurst later offered a simple explanation for the decision, saying his children needed support.

‘I don’t regret it for a single instant,’ he told Daily Mail Sport in 2015. ‘I’ve kept very little and that was a conscious decision. It was important to help my kids.’

‘You can’t split a World Cup medal between three people. The kids needed a bit of help and they needed it then,’ he added.

Bobby Moore never sold his medal, but his entire collection was auctioned seven years after his death, with West Ham purchasing all 79 items, including the 1966 winners’ medal, for public display.

The collection became the centrepiece of the club’s museum and ensured Moore’s legacy remained accessible to future generations.

Pele stands apart as one of the greatest athletes in the history of sport, yet even he eventually parted with the medals that defined his career. In 2016, the Brazilian icon auctioned his entire collection of more than 2,000 items, including all three of his World Cup winners’ medals.

In 2016, Pele auctioned his entire collection of more than 2,000 items, including all three of his World Cup winners’ medals.

His 1958 medal sold for £200,000, while his 1962 medal fetched £140,800.

Pele explained his decision, saying he wanted fans and museums around the world to share in his history.

‘I hope they treasure these artefacts and share my story with their children and generations to come,’ he said in a statement released through the auction house.’

The sale included a replica of the Jules Rimet trophy created after Brazil’s 1970 triumph, valued at up to £420,000, as well as the ball used to score his 1,000th career goal.

The scale of the auction made it one of the biggest memorabilia sales in sporting history.

Alan Ball, another key figure in England’s 1966 triumph, sold his World Cup medal and cap in 2005. The items were later auctioned again in 2022, with his medal fetching £200,000 and his cap reaching £115,000.

Ball’s decision to sell came late in retirement, when he assessed what his family needed most. The prices achieved reflected both the historical significance of the items and the enduring affection for the 1966 team.

Elsewhere, Trevor Francis, the first £1million footballer, accumulated a remarkable set of medals during a career that included two European Cups with Nottingham Forest.

Trevor Francis’ items included his winners’ medal from the 1979 European Cup final

After he died in 2023, his collection sold for £135,000.

Francis, who reportedly left his sons out of his will due to family differences, had items which included his winners’ medal from the 1979 European Cup final, valued at 20,000, his 1980 medal from Forest’s second triumph, his Coppa Italia medal from his time with Sampdoria and even a shirt swapped with Diego Maradona.

Likewise, Gordon McQueen, a towering presence for Leeds, Manchester United and Scotland, also saw his medals auctioned by his family after his death in 2023.

McQueen had battled dementia, thought to be linked to repeated heading of heavy footballs, and his family made clear that his memories were far more important to them than the objects he collected.

His 1983 FA Cup winners’ medal and a series of runners-up medals from major European finals were valued at £60,000 collectively.

His daughter, Sky Sports presenter Hayley, said the family wanted supporters and collectors to enjoy the items because her father had never been a hoarder and believed memories mattered more than possessions.

And the list stretches far beyond the names above. Legends such as George Best, Terry McDermott, Tommy Smith and even modern era players like Gary Shaw have also parted with career-defining medals. 

It is a reminder that the number of stars forced into this position is extensive, far too long for any single piece to capture.

Gordon McQueen also saw his medals auctioned by his family after his death in 2023. Pictured alongside daughter, Sky sports presenter Hayley McQueen

Across all of these stories, one theme stands out. Former players earned a fraction of today’s salaries, and many retired without the safety nets modern footballers take for granted.

Without coaching or punditry roles to fall back on, the outlook after football was often bleak, a stark reminder of how quickly security can disappear once the cheering stops.