GOALWorld Cup kits, record-setting boots and the world's most famous napkin - The five most unique pieces of Lionel Messi memorabilia ever sold
Lionel Messi has made an incredible amount of history throughout his illustrious career, but his recent announcement that he has retired from international duty served as a harsh reminder that there is a finite amount of history left to make. Messi is nearing the end. The decision to step away from Argentina duty is a fairly clear indication of that fact.
For fans of Messi, though, there are plenty of ways to interact with pieces of Messi's history. He's signed countless autographs over the years, and there are plenty of cards and collectibles out there to commemorate Messi's biggest moments. There's still time to see him in person, too. And, for Messi's biggest, and richest, fans, there are some absolutely breathtaking collectibles out there that define not just a player, but an era.
What are those collectibles, though? GOAL breaks down five of the most unique pieces of Messi memorabilia that have ever hit the market.
5. Ticket from debut friendly against Porto - $49,200
GoldinFew in the stadium that day knew the ticket they held, and how much it would ultimately be worth.
It's safe to assume that few who walked into the Estadio do Dragao on Nov. 16, 2003 had any idea what they were in for. Most attending that friendly thought they were simply seeing the opening of a new stadium for one of Portugal's biggest clubs. Instead, they saw the first senior appearance for one of the game's all-time greats.
Messi entered that game as a second-half substitute, showing flashes of what would eventually make him who he would become. Barcelona lost to Porto, 2-0, on the day, but the biggest winners were those who kept hold of their tickets from what seemed like a simple friendly.
According to Collectors Tools, a total of 229 copies, combinations of full tickets and stubs, of Messi's 2003 debut have been graded. The highest grade given by PSA was an eight. A PSA 7 sold on Goldin is currently recognized as the highest sale at $49,200.
There are cheaper entry points to this point in history, of course, and some fans would be more eager to collect his La Liga debut, which came a year later. The PSA 8, though, is certainly a holy grail for anyone looking to lock down a memento from the start of it all.
4. 2017 Remontada Match-worn shirt - $200-400k
ANPLa Remontada is one of the most famous games in Champions League history.
There are few Champions League days more memorable than the famous 2017 Remontada against PSG. While Barcelona have been on the wrong end of several iconic Champions League moments, the 6-1 triumph over PSG might be the most famous. Down 4-0 entering that day, Messi scored the fourth of Barca's six goals in that game to complete a comeback that remains the largest in Champions League history.
The actual shirt worn by Messi on that famous day hit auction at Sotheby's this past summer. The shirt, which was photomatched by PSA, ultimately sold for a price of between $200,000 and $400,000.
3. The breaking Pele's record boots- $169,000
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Christie'sThe boots Messi wore to set an iconic record were auctioned off for charity.
If there is a soccer record out there, there's a pretty good chance that Messi has it. If not, Pele would be a pretty good bet, too. Many of Messi's records were claimed from the legendary Brazilian, including the record for most goals for a single club. On Dec. 22, 2020, Messi scored his 644th goal for Barcelona, surpassing Pele's total for Brazilian side Santos.
The boots, which feature the names of Messi's wife and children, hit auction with Christie's Online after being donated by Messi himself to raise money for a Barcelona hospital. They feature some wear and tear, as can be expected from match-worn boots, but there's no peeling away the history made in them, which is partly defined by the man from whom Messi claimed that history, too.
2. The Barcelona Contract on a napkin - $964,450
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GettyThe napkin on which Barcelona agreed to sign 13-year-old Lionel Messi sold for $964,450 in 2024.
Any Messi fan knows the story. In 2000, sporting director Carles Rexach sealed a deal to bring a small 13-year-old Argentinian kid to Catalonia. That deal was hammered out on a napkin over lunch, and it required a bit of work from Rexach given the Messi family's concerns over Barcelona's lack of communication after an initial trial.
"In Barcelona, on 14 December 2000 and in the presence of Messrs Minguella and Horacio," the napkin reads if translated into English, "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."
Few knew what that napkin would change, and no one could have predicted how much it would be worth down the line. In 2024, the napkin was sold at auction for $964,450. While it is not signed by Messi himself, it is the physical artifact that started it all, and it's impossible to duplicate or replicate something so small yet so important.
1. Six Jerseys worn by Messi at 2022 WC - $7.8M
BildbyranThere are few, if any, more iconic games than the 2022 World Cup final, and Messi's shirt from that day, and five others, sold at auction.
The 2022 World Cup is no doubt Messi's defining moment, at least partly because there were so many moments within that tournament that were era-defining. If you were hunting for the ultimate memento from Messi's run in Qatar, you didn't need to pick one, though. Sotheby's auctioned off six of them together.
In 2023, an iconic lot of Messi memorabilia hit the market. It featured six shirts Messi wore during Argentina's run through Qatar, including his shirt worn during the first half of the finale. His goal against Mexico, the battle with the Netherlands, the iconic final against France - all commemorated via shirts worn by Messi himself during those matches. That collection, of course, didn't come cheap. The ultimate price was $7.8 million, but you could argue that the collection is truly priceless given the iconic nature of that World Cup triumph.