According to Le Parisien, the match-worn shirt which was adorned by Lionel Messi on his return to action with Paris Saint-Germain against Angers has been sold at auction for a record breaking fee of €43,623.
Along with 17 other match-worn shirts worn by Parisian players during a game against Angers on January 11th, Messi’s number 30 match-worn shirt set a record when a Chinese bidder purchased it. The bidder seemed determined to add the match-worn shirt to their collection, starting their bid at €22,000 and only winning it on their seventh bid.
Other match-worn shirts worn by Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and co. during Ligue 1 games against Lens and Strasbourg were also sold at the auction, but for significantly lower prices compared to Argentine World Cup star’s shirt on his Ligue 1 return. In the same auction Neymar’s shirt went for €7894, whilst Kylian Mbappé’s reached €14,083 and €15,017 on separate occasions.
Messi scored in the 72nd minute on his return from the 2022 World Cup during the match in question. Since the end of November, PSG has implemented a system of auctioning off player-won shirts. The club informs potential bidders whether the shirts have been signed, if it was actually worn in a game or only prepared for one, and also where the proceeds will go.