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The contract that started Lionel Messi's pro soccer career is up for sale

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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep. The contract that started Lionel Messi's professional soccer career is up for sale. Back in 2000, a representative of a Barcelona football team wanted to show his team's commitment to the future star, and to prove it, he wrote and signed that contract on a napkin while at a tennis club restaurant. Messi went on to win multiple championships across 17 years, and at a forthcoming auction, the napkin could sell for over $600,000. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.