The napkin upon which Lionel Messi penned his initial Barcelona contract in 2000 is slated for auction at the British auction house Bonhams, as reported by La Vanguardia newspaper.

Scheduled to take place between March 18 and 27, the auction is anticipated to fetch an estimated selling price ranging from £300,000 ($382,170) to £500,000.

This piece of football history has been meticulously preserved in a safe by Horacio Gaggioli, Messi’s representative at the time. Alongside Messi’s signature, the napkin also features the signatures of Carles Rexach, Barcelona’s technical secretary at the time, and Josep Maria Minguella, the talent scout credited with discovering the player.

Signed during a lunch at La Reial Societat de Tennis Pompeia in Montjuïc, the napkin holds a written commitment by Rexach. Messi, who has since achieved numerous major titles, including the Champions League and the World Cup, was merely 13 when he joined the Barcelona academy in 2000 after transferring from his local Argentinian club, Newell’s Old Boys.

The iconic footballer departed Barcelona in 2021 for Paris Saint-Germain, subsequently making a move to Inter Miami last year.