THE napkin that Lionel Messi signed to promise he would join Barcelona has been sold at auction.

Messi, 36, was famously signed by the Spanish giants after club chiefs put pen to napkin on a deal to sign the then 13-year-old.

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It was signed in December 2000 by former Barca sporting director Carles Rexach, transfer advisor Josep Minguella and Argentine agent Horacio Gaggioli over lunch at a tennis club.

Messi then joined the Spanish side's youth set up from Newell's Old Boys before going on to make his debut in 2004.

From there the attacker went on to become the club's best ever player with a record 672 goals scored as well as more than 30 trophies.

On his journey with Barcelona he also won six Ballon d'Or titles, before landing a seventh while with Paris Saint-Germain and an eighth with Inter Miami after winning the World Cup in 2022.

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Messi's exploits have made the napkin story famous, and it was finally given a financial figure for its worth when it was sold.

Auction house Bonhams said on Friday that the napkin had been sold for a staggering £762,4000 or $969,000.

Ian Ehling,the head of fine books and manuscripts at Bonhams New York said: "Yes, it's a paper napkin, but it's the famous napkin that was at the inception of Lionel Messi's career.

"It changed the life of Messi, the future of FC Barcelona, and was instrumental in giving some of the most glorious moments of football to billions of fans around the globe."

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Messi had a tearful exit from the Blaugrana in 2021.

He would spend two playing in Paris before moving to David Beckham's Major League Soccer franchise in Miami.

Messi career stats

Barcelona: 778 games. 672 goals. 303 assists.

10x LaLiga titles. 4x Champions League titles. 3x Club World Cup. 7x Spanish Cup winner. 3x Uefa Supercup winner. 8x Spanish Supercup winner.

PSG: 75 games. 32 goals. 35 assists.

2x Ligue 1 titles. 1x French Supercup winner.

Inter Miami: 26 games. 23 goals. 16 assists.

1x Leagues Cup winner.

Argentina: 180 games. 106 goals. 56 assists.

1x World Cup winner. 1x Copa America winner. 1x 2008 Olympic Gold Medallist.

Individual: 8x Ballon d'Or wins. 8x The Best Fifa Men's Player wins. 3x Uefa Best Player in Europe. 10x Player of the Year.

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