The auction for the napkin that famously launched Lionel Messi's Barcelona career as a 13-year-old has opened this week with a guide price of £300,000-£500,000 ($374,700-$624,500). Bidding for the item currently stands at £220,000 and will remain open with the British auction house Bonhams until May 17.
The sale, originally scheduled for March, was postponed due to a dispute over the ownership of the napkin, which has been in the possession of Horacio Gaggioli, an Argentine agent, for the past two decades.
Josep Minguella, another advisor involved in the deal to bring Messi over from Argentina, claimed ownership of the napkin after news of the auction surfaced earlier this year. However, Gaggioli contested this claim, and Bonhams has stated that there are no issues regarding the sale of the napkin, listing it as the 'property of Horacio Gaggioli' on their website.
The napkin, signed by key figures including Carles Rexach, Minguella, and Gaggioli, was used as a makeshift contract in December 2000 when there were doubts about Barcelona's commitment to Messi. Since then, the napkin has been safeguarded by Gaggioli in a secure vault in Andorra.
Efforts to include the napkin in Barcelona's museum at Camp Nou have failed in the past due to failed negotiations. The napkin, signed hastily at a tennis club in Barcelona, marked the beginning of Messi's illustrious career with the club.
Messi, who now plays for MLS side Inter Miami, went on to become Barcelona's most decorated player, setting records for appearances and goals scored. During his time at Barcelona, he won numerous domestic and international titles, solidifying his status as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Individually, Messi has been awarded the Ballon d'Or a record eight times and has achieved success with the Argentina national team, winning the Copa América in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022.
