Messi signed his first Contract with Barcelona on Tissue Paper

Table of Contents

Lionel Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time and clearly the best footballer in the modern age, but how did a Tissue Paper make him a Barcelona legend?

Messi signed his first contract on Tissue Paper

FACT: Messi's first contract with Barcelona was signed on a tissue paper by Barca legend Charles Rexach #fcb pic.twitter.com/24772RFBm6
— El Máestro (@ElMaestrofcb) September 17, 2014

When Messi was 13 years old, he impressed Barcelona’s general secretary, Charly Rexach, so much that he wanted to sign him on the spot. But there was no paper available, so Rexach wrote the contract on a napkin, and Messi and his father signed it. That napkin is now framed and displayed at the club’s museum.

Messi has a football tattoo on his left leg

Lionel Messi is proud of his skills and loves the game, so he decided to get a tattoo of a football on his left leg, which is his dominant one. He also has other tattoos that show his love for his family, such as his mother’s face on his back and his son Thiago’s handprints on his calf.

Messi was sent off after 44 seconds on his international debut

Messi’s first appearance for Argentina was not a happy one. He came on as a substitute in a friendly match against Hungary in 2005, but he was shown a red card after just 44 seconds for elbowing an opponent. He later said that it was “the worst day of my life.”

Messi had a growth hormone deficiency as a child

Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency when he was 10, affecting his height and development. His family could not afford the treatment, which cost $900 a month, but Barcelona agreed to pay for it when they signed him. Thanks to the injections, Messi grew to 5ft 7in.

Messi is a member of Newell’s Old Boys since he was born

Messi started playing football at Newell’s Old Boys, a club in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina. He joined their youth academy when he was six years old and played there until he moved to Barcelona at 13. But even before that, he was already a member of the club, as his father registered him just three days after he was born.