As captivating as Lionel Messi is on the soccer pitch, his humble nature is no secret. Whether showing respect to his opponents or admiration for his ardent supporters, the Argentinian superstar is always as modest as he can be. One such heartfelt gesture towards a fan Messi made over a decade ago recently caught the eye of Serena Williams‘ husband, Alexis Ohanian, who gave his stamp of approval with a 5-word response.
The Reddit founder took to Instagram, where he reposted a reel on his story shared by @onmantel, a community page dedicated to collectors. The reel featured the tale of a collector named Adrian Garcia, who narrated how he acquired Messi’s 2006 Argentina signed jersey. Ohanian, upon resharing it, wrote a caption saying, “Hell of a collector story.” But how did the collector get his hands on such a precious item?
In August 2006, during Barcelona’s US pre-season tour in LA to face Chivas, Garcia attended the Catalans’ practice at Loyola Marymount. With only a small crowd of 30–40 people gathered on one side of the field, Garcia sneaked to get a closer look, unimpeded by any restrictions. Luckily, Messi ended the practice early and began walking directly toward Garcia, graciously agreeing to a photograph and signing the jersey that the collector had received from his brother as a gift.
“I’m a huge Messi fan, and it’s been a joy to watch him play throughout his career. This is undoubtedly the possession/collectible that means the most to me,” concluded Garcia. While it is quite a remarkable story that left Ohanian in awe, the American entrepreneur himself boasts a possession that features the 8x Ballon d’Or winner.
Alexis Ohanian has a unique collector’s item featuring Lionel Messi!
A year ago, Aleix Ohanian shared with his 819k followers that he owned a trading card of Lionel Messi. Alongside a caption that read, “Great looking @leomessi,” he posted a picture of the collectible item. Notably, it was the 2018 National Treasures Century Collection Material Patch Autograph Lionel Messi #2. Certainly, it must be worth a fortune, but how much exactly?
USA Today via Reuters
Last year, bidding for the card started at $18,000. However, given Messi’s stellar performances on the pitch since then, the price would likely have inflated. Although the exact current market price is unknown, reportedly, it is estimated close to the price of Ohanian’s wife Serena Williams’ trading card—a Serena Williams 2003 NetPro signed patch rookie card, which sold for an impressive $266,400.
