By Dean Murray via SWNS
The napkin that secured 13-year-old Lionel Messi’s move to FC Barcelona has sold for £762,000 on May 17.
Written in December 2000, it put the teen prodigy on a path to be widely considered the greatest footballer of all time.
The Bonhams online sale saw the winning bid far beyond the starting price of £300,000.
The napkin sketched out a commitment to a contract from Carles Rexach, Barcelona’s Sporting Director.
It was being offered for sale on behalf of Argentine agent, Horacio Gaggioli.
Written in Spanish, it reads: “In Barcelona, on 14 December 2000 and in the presence of Messrs Minguella and Horacio, Carles Rexach, FC Barcelona’s sporting director, hereby agrees, under his responsibility and regardless of any dissenting opinions, to sign the player Lionel Messi, provided that we keep to the amounts agreed upon.”
The statement is signed by Carles Rexach, a longstanding player and coach for the club and Josep Minguella, the transfer advisor to the club who, together with Rexach, arranged for Messi’s tryout in September 2000.
Horacio Gaggioli, the Argentine agent who brought Messi to the attention of Carles Rexach, was also at the table and signed the napkin.
Messi’s individual accolades include eight Ballon d’Or awards, the most coveted personal trophy for footballers. He has broken numerous records, including being Barcelona’s all-time top scorer.
In 2012, he achieved a historic feat by scoring 91 goals in all competitions, surpassing the previous record held by Gerd Müller.
In 2022, Messi captained Argentina to win the World Cup in Qatar in a game hailed as the finest final ever.
Ian Ehling, Head of Fine Books and Manuscripts at Bonhams New York said: “Since the sale was first announced it captured international attention and fans all over the world have anticipated this day. What a wonderful result for one of the most thrilling items I have ever handled.
“Yes, it’s a paper napkin, but it’s the famous napkin that was at the inception of Lionel Messi’s career.
“It changed the life of Messi, the future of FC Barcelona, and was instrumental in giving some of the most glorious moments of football to billions of fans around the globe.”
