A Lionel Messi jersey from his FC Barcelona days has comfortably beaten a Cristiano Ronaldo shirt in an auction, with the Argentine superstar’s signed jersey fetching more than six times the amount paid for Ronaldo’s.
The Messi shirt was sold for $66,107, while a match-issued Cristiano Ronaldo jersey from his Real Madrid days went for $10,601. Both pieces were part of the collection of former Manchester United masseur Rod Thornley, who spent years working around some of football’s biggest stars.
Messi jersey has a special story
The Barcelona jersey was worn by Messi during a 0-0 pre-season friendly against Manchester United in August 2012. After the match, Messi signed the shirt for Thornley, making the item particularly valuable to collectors.
Thornley had personally arranged to get Messi’s jersey. He revealed that he contacted former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique before the friendly and asked him to help secure the Argentine’s shirt.
Pique reportedly took Thornley into the Barcelona dressing room after the game, where Messi was still wearing the jersey.
Messi then removed the shirt, signed it and shook Thornley’s hand.
Recalling the moment, Thornley described it as an incredible experience, particularly because he had personally requested the shirt ahead of the match.
Ronaldo shirt tells a different story
The Cristiano Ronaldo jersey, meanwhile, was a match-issued Real Madrid shirt from the 2014-15 season.
Unlike the Messi jersey, however, the Ronaldo shirt was prepared for a match but was not actually worn by the Portuguese superstar.
It did, nevertheless, carry a personal message for Thornley. The former Manchester United staff member had worked with Ronaldo during the player’s time at Old Trafford, giving the shirt its own connection to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Messi jersey wins the auction battle
The huge difference in the final prices highlights the premium collectors can place on match-worn and personally signed football memorabilia.
While both shirts came from two of the most iconic players of the modern era, Messi’s shirt had several factors working in its favour: it was worn during a match, signed by Messi himself and came with a memorable story involving his Barcelona dressing room.
The auction result therefore gave Messi another victory over Ronaldo—this time off the football pitch and in the collectibles market.
