Lionel Messi’s influence on soccer is undeniable. Not only are his goals and feats with the ball known around the world, but the shirts with his name on them are among the best sellers.
But the former Chelsea player now owns the one worn by the Argentine star during his time at Barcelona, before his name became history. And it can belong to any fan.
Antonella Roccuzzo showed that Messi does not stray from the ball even during the break
Former Chelsea player auctions rare Messi jersey
Former Premier League club defender John Terry owns the shirt that the current Inter Miami captain wore in the Champions League group stage match against Chelsea on October 18, 2006, during his early days at the Catalan club when he was just 19 years old.
This is a special piece, as it was the prelude to 35 titles with the club: 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 4 Champions League titles, 3 FIFA Club World Cups and 3 European Super Cups.
However, with the former Aston Villa player having decided to put it up for auction on goldin.com, fans will have the chance to own this historic piece while supporting Terry’s charitable foundation.
This was announced by the auction house and John himself in a post shared on Instagram. Talking about the jersey, Terry recalled how important the item was to him, beginning with: “This is a very special jersey that the great and unique Lionel Messi gave to him when he was playing at Stamford Bridge,” adding that it had not been worn much.
“It’s very special, because I was a defender and he was an attacker, so we were very close to each other throughout the game, and when there were a minute or two left in the game, I walked a little bit closer to him to take his shirt after the game,” he recalled, concluding.
In that match, which took place almost 20 years ago, Terry and company defeated Leo and Rose thanks to a goal from Didier Drogba.
However, after the match, the Argentine gifted his rival defender with an FC Barcelona orange away jersey bearing his surname and number 19, with a patch on the right sleeve commemorating Rose’s 2005/06 Champions League victory.
