Lionel Messi’s first Barcelona contract napkin set for auction at £300,000

The napkin on which Lionel Messi’s first Barcelona contract was signed at the age of 13 is set to be auctioned, starting at £300,000. Signed in December 2000, the napkin bears commitments from Carles Rexach, the then Barca director, to secure Messi’s signing.

Alongside Rexach, the document also carries the signatures of Josep Minguella, a transfer advisor to the Spanish club, and agent Horacio Gaggioli, who recommended the Argentine prodigy.

Messi officially joined Barcelona a month later and eventually became the club’s all-time leading goal-scorer. Making his debut at 16, he netted an impressive 672 goals in 778 games for the Catalan side.

At the age of 36, Messi departed Barcelona in 2021 after winning 10 La Liga and four Champions League titles, joining Paris St-Germain.

The unique napkin was signed during a meeting arranged by Rexach, who invited Messi’s father, Jorge, to lunch in response to concerns from the Messi family regarding a lack of communication from Barcelona after the initial trial.

The agreement, written in blue ink on the napkin, stipulates: “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.”

Scheduled for auction in March via Bonhams, the historic napkin is described by Ian Ehling, Head of Fine Books and Manuscripts at Bonhams, as one of the most thrilling items ever handled. He acknowledges its significance in altering Messi’s life, shaping FC Barcelona’s future, and contributing to the glorious moments of football witnessed by billions of fans worldwide.