£762,400 Scribble: Barca's Messi Signing Makes History

According to auction house Bonhams, the napkin bearing the promise made by Barcelona to recruit Lionel Messi when he was 13 years old sold for 762,400 pounds ($969,000) on Friday.

Over lunch at a tennis club in December 2000, Argentine agent Horacio Gaggioli, transfer advisor Josep Minguella, and former sports director Carles Rexach of Barcelona signed the napkin.

After departing the Catalan club as the all-time top scorer with 672 goals, Messi went on to become one of Barcelona's greatest players, taking home almost 30 championships.

In addition, he led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup victory and received a record eight Ballon d'Or trophies for being the best player in the world. Messi now plays Major League Soccer for American team Inter Miami.

According to a statement from Ian Ehling, head of fine books and manuscripts at Bonhams New York, "yes, it's a paper napkin, but it's the famous napkin that was at the inception of Lionel Messi's career."

Messi's life and FC Barcelona's future were both altered by it, and billions of football fans worldwide were treated to some of the game's most spectacular moments.