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Origin of 1998 World Cup bronze medal on sale revealed  

Croatia at the 1998 World Cup won bronze (HNS/Getty)

Earlier this week it was revealed that one of the bronze medals from Croatia’s third-place finish at the 1998 World Cup in France had gone on sale online.

UK auction house The Saleroom listed an original bronze medal from the 1998 World Cup which Croatia famously won in their debut World Cup. 

After an investigation by journalists in Croatia as to whose medal it was, it has been revealed that the medal on sale did not come from any of the Croatian team or management who were awarded it. 

Agon SportsWorld confirmed to RTL that the medal, in fact, was put on sale by a collector who purchased the medal 10 years ago from an unnamed FIFA official. 

Apart from the 30 bronze medals handed out to the Croatian players and management in France, 10 more medals ended up in the hands of FIFA and other national federation officials. This medal on sale was one of those. 

(Screenshot/The Saleroom)

The Saleroom, which specialises in art and antique auctions, estimated the value of the medal at €7,500 but this amount would be a lot more they say if it had belonged to a Croatian player. 

The live auction will take place between 7 December and 8 December. You can see the original listing here.

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