Lionel Messi‘s impact on soccer is undeniable. So much so that not only do his goals and exploits with the ball travel around the world, but jerseys with his name on them are among the best-selling.
However, a former Chelsea player owns one that the Argentine star wore during his time at Barcelona, before his name went down in history. And it could belong to any fan.
Former Chelsea player auctions rare Messi jersey
Former Premier League club defender John Terry has in his possession a jersey worn by the current Inter Miami captain in his early days with the Catalan club when he was 19, in a match against Chelsea in the Champions League group stage on October 18, 2006.
It is a special garment, as it was the prelude to his 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, fans will have the opportunity to own this historic garment while supporting Terry’s charitable foundation, as the former Aston Villa player has decided to auction it on goldin.com.
This was announced by the auction house and John himself in a post shared on Instagram. Speaking about the jersey, Terry recalled how important this item is to him: “This is a very special jersey from the great and the one and only, Lionel Messi, when he played at Stamford Bridge,” he began, commenting that it had not been worn very often.
“So special, but because I was a defender and he was an attacker, we were very close to each other throughout the whole game, and when there was a minute or two to go, I would get a little bit closer to him just so I could get his shirt after the game,” he recalled, concluding: “It’s very special, because he goes down as one of the greatest of all time.”
In that match, which took place almost 20 years ago, Terry and company beat Leo and Barça thanks to a goal from Didier Drogba.
However, after the match, the Argentine gave his FC Barcelona Orange Away jersey with his surname on it, the number ’19’ to his rival defender, and a patch on the right sleeve commemorates Barça’s victory in the 2005-06 Champions League.
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