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A seemingly ordinary paper napkin, bearing the historic agreement that secured Lionel Messi's future with FC Barcelona, sold for an astounding $966,400 (£762,400) at an auction conducted by Bonhams. This napkin, signed in 2000 when Messi was just 13 years old, fetched significantly more than its initial starting price of $380,000 (£300,000).
The commitment to the contract was inscribed in blue ballpoint pen by Carles Rexach, who was the sporting director of Barça at the time. Measuring 6.5 x 6.5 inches, the napkin bore a pivotal message: “In Barcelona, on December 14, 2000, in the presence of Messi".
Minguella and Horacio, Carles Rexach, technical secretary of FC Barcelona, hereby agrees under his responsibility and against some dissenting opinions to sign the player Lionel Messi, provided that we keep to the amounts agreed,” Rexach wrote in Spanish.
The napkin also carried the signatures of Horacio Gaggioli, the Argentine agent who introduced Messi to Barcelona, and Josep Minguella, the club's transfer advisor. Both Gaggioli and Minguella played crucial roles in arranging Messi’s initial tryout with
Barcelona in September 2000. On December 14, 2000, Rexach, Minguella, and Gaggioli met at the Pompeia tennis club to formalize the agreement on the napkin. Later that evening, Joan Gaspart, Barcelona’s president at the time, ratified the agreement, setting the stage for what would become a historic football career.
Lionel Messi’s journey from the famed La Masia academy to becoming one of the greatest footballers ever began with this unassuming napkin. He made his debut for Barcelona's senior team in 2004 at the age of 16, becoming the youngest player to represent the club in an official match at that time. Over his illustrious career, Messi made 778 appearances for Barcelona, shattered the club’s goalscoring records, and amassed 35 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies.
Reflecting on the significance of the auction, Ian Ehling, head of fine books and manuscripts at Bonhams New York, remarked, “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.”
The sale of this napkin not only underscores its historical importance but also commemorates the moment that altered the trajectory of football, turning Lionel Messi into a global icon and reshaping the fortunes of FC Barcelona.
