Bidding Opens For Lionel Messi’s Napkin

Bidding started on Wednesday for a napkin on which football club Barcelona wrote a commitment to sign 13-year-old Lionel Messi, who later became the greatest player in the sport. Initial bids have already reached nearly $300,000.

In December 2000, the napkin was signed by Carles Rexach, who was Barcelona’s sporting director at the time. He agreed with agent Horacio Gaggioli to bring in the Argentine teenager who later became Barcelona’s leading goal scorer of all time.

Bidding for the document, described by auction house Bonhams as “blue ink on a standard Spanish waxy napkin,” was at 220,000 pounds ($274,824.00) shortly after the sale opened, according to the auctioneer’s website.

The online sale closes on May 17th and has a guide price of between 300,000 and 500,000 pounds.

“It was never legally binding, but emotionally it represents the deep link or the beginning of the deep link, that Messi had with Barcelona,” said Bonhams Chief Marketing Officer Marc Sands.

Messi played a key role in Barcelona’s success, contributing to 35 titles during his time at the club. He set a record with 782 appearances and 674 goals. In 2021, Messi departed Barcelona and currently plays for Inter Miami.

“If you love football, you’ll know all about Lionel Messi and you will know that he defined football for generations. If you want a slice of that action, this is the thing to get,” Sands said.