Lionel Messi’s Original Barcelona Contract to be Auctioned Off

The auction house Bonhams will be hosting an online auction for the paper napkin that played a significant role in securing a deal between Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona. The starting price for the napkin is set at £300,000 ($381,500). This unique artifact was offered to Bonhams by Argentine agent Horacio Gaggioli.

At the age of 13, Messi made the move from Argentina to Barcelona to join FC Barcelona’s under-14 soccer team. However, agents and coaches initially had reservations about signing him due to his young age, height, and non-European background.

The napkin, which measures 16.5 x 16.5 cm, features a blue ink inscription that reads, “In Barcelona, on 14 December 2000 and in the presence of Messrs Minguella and Horacio [Gaggioli], 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.” This contract, though initially written on the napkin, was later transferred to an official document the same night, officially bringing Messi into the team.

Despite not being signed by Messi himself, the napkin does contain the signatures of Gaggioli, Rexach, a technical director, and Josep Maria Minguella, a transfer advisor to the club. These three individuals agreed to sign Messi after he impressed coaches and staff during a two-week trial in Barcelona.

Just three years after signing the contract, Messi made his informal debut with FC Barcelona and went on to become one of the greatest players in the history of soccer.

Ian Ehling, Head of Fine Books and Manuscripts at Bonhams New York, expressed his excitement about handling such a significant item: “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. 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.”

In addition to his successful career with FC Barcelona, Messi’s leadership also helped Argentina win their first World Cup since 1986. His numerous achievements led to him being named the 2023 TIME Athlete of the Year.