The napkin on which Barcelona promised to sign Lionel Messi when he was a 13-year-old has been sold for $969,000, auction house Bonhams said on Friday.
The napkin was signed in December, 2000 by Barca's former sporting director Carles Rexach and transfer advisor Josep Minguella along with Argentine agent Horacio Gaggioli over lunch at a tennis club.
Lionel Messi napkin sells for nearly $1 million
Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes' list of highest-paid athletes for the fourth time in his career while Spanish golfer Jon Rahm moved up to second following his sensational switch to Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
Ronaldo became the world's highest-paid athlete after his move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr and Forbes said the 39-year-old's estimated total earnings were in the region of $260 million, an all-time high for a soccer player.
Diego Maradona's Golden Ball trophy won for being named the best player at the 1986 World Cup will be auctioned in France in June, the Aguttes auction house said on Tuesday.
This is the first Golden Ball to go for auction and while the value is still to be confirmed, the auction house expects it to fetch millions on June 6.
EL DIEGO DE LOS MILAGROS
Increíble: el Balón de Oro que ganó Maradona por ser el mejor jugador del Mundial 1986 fue robado en 1989 y se creía que lo habían derretido
Desperate Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem have turned to crowdfunding in a bid to retain the club's license to play next season and raised over one million euros by Friday, with the club's players donating their salaries to the cause.
1.000.000!!!
Wat een mooie mijlpaal!Doneren? -> https://t.co/ToFVYqkjn9#vitesse pic.twitter.com/7RhZFf5sYL
Feyenoord and Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement regarding the appointment of Arne Slot as coach of the Premier League club, Dutch media reported on Friday.
Slot said on Thursday that he wanted to succeed German Jürgen Klopp as Liverpool manager.
New Liverpool manager set to be Arne Slot
BREAKING: Arne Slot will be new Liverpool head coach replacing Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season!
The Portland Thorns signed forward Sophia Smith to a two-year contract extension Tuesday, making her the highest paid player in the NWSL, ESPN reported.
While Smith's deal runs through the 2025 season, the contract will include an option for 2026.
No. 9
We’ve agreed to a contract extension with forward Sophia Smith.More here: https://t.co/5lmwcbQau3 pic.twitter.com/suBqSm86qy
BARCELONA — Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves can be released from jail on a $1.1 million bail while he appeals his rape conviction, after serving about a quarter of his four-and-a-half-year sentence, a Barcelona court ruled on Wednesday.
The conditions for Alves' release include relinquishing both his Brazilian and Spanish passports so he cannot leave Spain as well as an obligation to appear before the court on a weekly basis or whenever summoned.
The court also imposed a restraining order barring Alves from coming within 3,300 feet of the victim.
Ligue 1 looks to be getting a new league sponsorship deal as RMC Sport has reported the top French league is close to teaming up with McDonald’s.
The league’s current name is actually Ligue 1 Uber Eats. The food delivery service has had the sponsorship name since 2020 and the naming deal runs until the end of the 2023-24 season.
McDonald’s is reportedly set to ink a deal with Ligue 1 worth $65 million over the next three seasons.
The deal isn’t confirmed yet but has already generated quite the storm online.
Ligue 1 McDonald’s
The Crew is iced out.
Columbus Crew players received championship rings to conmemorate their 2023 MLS Cup title before playing their season opener against Atlanta United this Saturday.
The ring, also given to coaching staff and club management, is 10-karat yellow gold and studded with approximately 250 diamonds. The conmemorative piece was revealed at the stadium in a ceremony held before the start of the match.
France captain Kylian Mbappé has informed Paris Saint-Germain that he is leaving the club in July as a free agent seven years after joining them, The Athletic website reported on Thursday.
Mbappé, a member of France's 2018 World Cup-winning team, signed for PSG from Monaco in 2017 for 180 million euros ($194 million) to become the second most expensive player ever after Brazilian Neymar, who joined the French champions the same year for 222 million euros.