The historic piece of napkin that marked the beginning of one of the greatest partnerships in football history is set to go up for sale.
Argentine football icon Lionel Messi famously signed his first contract with FC Barcelona on a simple napkin at the age of 13, officially joining the club's youth academy, La Masia, in 2000.
Messi would become the greatest player in the club's history and arguably the greatest in the entire sport, setting numerous records for Barcelona, including the most goals, assists, and appearances.
The auction for this significant football memorabilia will be facilitated by the privately owned British auction house Bonhams. Bidding is scheduled from March 18 to 27, 2024, with the starting price set at £300,000 ($381,150).
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How did Lionel Messi get to sign his first Barca contract on a napkin?
Messi was already a prodigy for his local club, Newell's Old Boys, in Rosario in Argentina, but his future as a professional player was in jeopardy after he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.
The required treatment, costing at least $1,000 per month, led to an agreement where Newell's initially agreed to contribute but later backed out on their promise.
With relatives in Catalonia, the Messi family arranged a trial with FC Barcelona in September 2000. Barcelona director Carles Rexach, impressed within minutes of witnessing Messi's play, expressed immediate interest in signing the 13-year-old.
However, the board of directors hesitated, as signing foreign players of such a young age was uncommon in European clubs then. Concerns arose from the Messi family regarding a lack of response from Barcelona after the initial trial, prompting months to pass before any response was made.
Frustrated with the lack of progress, Horacio Gaggioli, the Argentine agent who facilitated the deal, met with Rexach on December 14.
During this meeting, Gaggioli conveyed that if Barcelona could not commit to signing Messi, the teenager would be available to other clubs, including their eternal arch-rival, Real Madrid.
Upon receiving the stunning ultimatum from the Messi family, Rexach, unable to draft a formal contract and lacking paper during the dinner, quickly improvised by creating a symbolic contract on a paper napkin.
Despite its unconventional nature, this impromptu gesture aimed to function as a legally binding representation of the club's commitment to the player.
"In Barcelona, on December 14, 2000 and 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 contract read in Spanish, written in blue ink.
What happened to the napkin?
Since that fateful day, Gaggioli has retained ownership of the napkin. It's kept secure in a vault in Andorra, the principality located north of Barcelona, nestled between Spain and France.
Attempts to include the historic napkin in Barça's museum at the Spotify Camp Nou stadium fell through during previous negotiations. As a result, it is now set to be offered to private bidders through Bonhams.
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