Lionel Messi's 25-year-old napkin auctioned, price will blow your mind

The napkin that witnessed football legend Lionel Messi's first contract with Spanish club Barcelona has been auctioned. This buyer has made the highest bid of 7,62,400 pounds (about Rs 8.05 crore). Bonhams, the UK auctioning company, has given this information. Almost 25 years ago, the agreement in principle to contract 13-year-old Messi at Barcelona Tennis Club was written on this napkin. A comprehensive contract with the club was signed soon after.

According to Bonhams, Horacio Gaglioli, Messi's agent in Argentina, supplied the serviette, which was dated December 14, 2000. These details were part of the agreement. In order to reassure Lionel Messi's father, Jorge Messi, that the deal would be fulfilled, the contract was written in blue ink. Four signatures on the serviette: Gaglioli, Carlos Rexach, Barcelona's sporting director at the time, and another representative, Josep Maria Minguella.

Rexach asked the waiter for a paper but was handed a napkin. The initial price of this napkin was kept at three lakh pounds (about Rs 3.16 crore). Messi joined Barcelona's youth team at the age of 13. He made his debut for the Barcelona main team in 2004 and stayed with the club for 17 seasons.