Historic Messi Commitment: Signed Napkin Headed for Auction

According to revelations by Joan Josep Pallàs in La Vanguardia, the famous napkin on which Lionel Messi committed to FC Barcelona on December 14, 2000, when he was 13 years old, will be auctioned by Bonhams, a prestigious British auction house, between March 18 and 27. The estimated sale price ranges between £300,000 (approximately €350,000) and £500,000 (€585,000).

The document has been stored in a safe since it was kept by Horacio Gaggioli, who was Messi’s representative at the time. Gaggioli signed the napkin along with Carles Rexach, who was the technical secretary of Barcelona, and Josep Maria Minguella. Minguella discovered the young talent and recommended him to the Blaugrana club, even taking charge of Leo and his father Jorge’s maintenance from September 2000 until they finally settled in Barcelona.

Although Gaggioli had initially claimed that he would donate the symbolic treasure to the FC Barcelona museum, it is now being offered to the auction house.

The napkin was signed during a lunch at La Reial Societat de Tennis Pompeia, in Montjuïc, a club presided over by Josep Maria Minguella. The text, written by Carles Rexach with blue pen ink, reads: “In Barcelona, on December 14, 2000, and in the presence of Messrs. Minguella and Horacio, Carles Rexach, technical secretary of FC Barcelona, commits under his responsibility and despite some contrary opinions, to sign the player Lionel Messi as long as we maintain the agreed-upon amounts.” All those mentioned signed it as a way to certify the unofficial commitment after a few weeks of uncertainty at Barcelona due to a lack of consensus about signing the young talent who dazzled with the ball but had growth issues. The Blaugrana club took charge of a treatment to ensure his height increased in line with his age. Carles Rexach signed on behalf of Barcelona the document that bound Messi.