The legend of Lionel Messi, the consensus greatest soccer player of his era, began in the city of Rosario in Argentina’s Santa Fe province. The diminutive playmaker joined the youth system of local club Newell’s Old Boys in 1995 as part of their legendary youth team nicknamed "The Machine of '87", scoring nearly 500 goals and so impressing the FC Barcelona hierarchy that the Catalan club signed their future icon’s first contract on a napkin. Over 17 seasons with Barcelona, Messi developed into a global megastar, winning six Ballon d’Or awards, ten La Liga titles, and four UEFA Champions League trophies.

This historic Asociación Rosarina De Fútbol pass features a photograph of the young Messi, wide-eyed but recognizable as Argentina’s all-time leading scorer. On the card’s reverse, Messi has printed his name in blue ink on the Firma (Signature) line. With the era of this card’s issue circa 1995-2000, this is surely one of the earliest documented Lionel Messi signatures, and a true piece of soccer history! The laminated pass features a pair of hole punches on the top, and shows slight signs of age; however, both the photograph of Messi and his signature project tremendous quality. Messi’s rise is a near-mythic tale, with the current Paris Saint-Germain player overcoming monumental odds to reach the peak of worldwide sports stardom. This pass represents the very beginning of this modern fable, and is a true must-have for any soccer enthusiast! This pass has been authenticated and encapsulated by Beckett Grading Services (00013516289), which graded this pass as AUTHENTIC and the signature a GEM MT 10.

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