Current:Home > StocksMessi napkin sells for nearly $1 million. Why this piece of soccer history is so important-LoTradeCoin
Messi napkin sells for nearly $1 million. Why this piece of soccer history is so important
View Date:2024-12-23 16:33:15
The blue-inked napkin which led to Lionel Messi joining FC Barcelona to begin one of the most historic careers in soccer history was sold at a Bonhams auction on Friday.
The winning bid was £762,400, or $965,000. Bidding began May 8 at £220,000 or $274,824.
Considered a unique and historic piece of soccer history, the napkin signified Barcelona’s commitment to sign Messi to a contract when he was a 13-year-old prodigy from Argentina.
The napkin was signed by former Barcelona sporting director Carles Rexach, club transfer advisor Josep Minguella, and agent Horacio Gaggioli, who arranged Messi’s tryout with Barcelona in September 2000.
The auction was on behalf of Gaggioli, who kept the napkin safe before bidding.
Written in Spanish, the napkin states: "In Barcelona, on 14 December 2000 and the presence of Mr. 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."
Messi, the star of Inter Miami in Major League Soccer is a 2022 World Cup champion with Argentina and an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as soccer’s best player. He scored 674 goals in 782 games with Barcelona, and helped the club with 35 titles from 2004-2021.
“This is 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,” said Ian Ehling, head of fine books and manuscripts at Bonhams New York, in a news release before the sale. “It changed the life of Messi, the future of FC Barcelona, and was instrumental in giving some of the most glorious moments of soccer to billions of fans around the globe.”
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Diamond Sports Group can emerge out of bankruptcy after having reorganization plan approved
- See Kim Kardashian’s Son Psalm West Get $1,500 Birthday Present From Kris Jenner
- Trump trial turns to sex, bank accounts and power: Highlights from the third week of testimony
- Extreme G5 geomagnetic storm reaches Earth, NOAA says, following unusual solar event
- Social media star squirrel euthanized after being taken from home tests negative for rabies
- Alligator spotted on busy highway in Mobile, Alabama, sighting stopped traffic
- Maya van Rossum Wants to Save the World
- Man found dead after Ohio movie theater shooting. Person considered suspect is arrested
- All the Ways Megan Fox Hinted at Her Pregnancy With Machine Gun Kelly
- Woman gets 2 life sentences in 2021 murders of father, his longtime girlfriend
Ranking
- Queen Bey and Yale: The Ivy League university is set to offer a course on Beyoncé and her legacy
- WABC Radio suspends Rudy Giuliani for flouting ban on discussing discredited 2020 election claims
- Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner Showcase Chic Styles on Their Sister Work Day in Las Vegas
- Legal Marijuana Now Party loses major status with Minnesota Supreme Court ruling
- Stock market today: Asian stocks dip as Wall Street momentum slows with cooling Trump trade
- Dr. Pepper and pickles? Sounds like a strange combo, but many are heading to Sonic to try it
- Celine Dion's stylist Law Roach admits her Grammys return amid health battle was 'emotional'
- Schools turn to artificial intelligence to spot guns as companies press lawmakers for state funds
Recommendation
-
Paraguay vs. Argentina live updates: Watch Messi play World Cup qualifying match tonight
-
Rafael Nadal still undecided on French Open after losing in second round in Rome
-
McDonald's is considering a $5 meal to win back customers. Here's what you'd get.
-
U.S. weapons may have been used in ways inconsistent with international law in Gaza, U.S. assessment says
-
Opinion: NFL began season with no Black offensive coordinators, first time since the 1980s
-
Celine Dion's stylist Law Roach admits her Grammys return amid health battle was 'emotional'
-
3 GOP candidates for West Virginia governor try to outdo each other on anti-LGBTQ issues
-
MALCOIN Trading Center: A Leader in the Stablecoin Market