Lionel Messi going out of his way for his fans is nothing new. Last year we witnessed how his gesture to a young Inter Miami fan who was tackled by his bodyguard won hearts. One such heartfelt gesture Messi made nearly two decades ago recently caught the eye of Serena Williams‘ husband, Alexis Ohanian, who himself owns another quite unique Messi item, as he gave his stamp of approval with a 5-word response to the fan’s heartwarming story from 2006. 

The Reddit co-founder took it to Instagram, where he reposted a reel on his story shared by @onmantel, a community page run by and dedicated to collectors. The reel featured the tale of a collector named Adrian Garcia, who narrated how he acquired Messi’s signed Argentina jersey from the very first World Cup he played in. Ohanian, upon resharing it, wrote a caption saying, “Hell of a collector story.” But how did this person get his hands on such a precious item?

In August 2006, during Barcelona’s US pre-season tour in LA to face Chivas, Garcia attended the Catalans’ practice at Loyola Marymount. With only a small crowd of 30–40 people gathered on one side of the field, Garcia sneaked to get a closer look, unimpeded by any restrictions. Luckily, Messi ended the practice early and began walking directly toward Garcia, graciously agreeing to a photograph and signing the jersey that the collector had received from his brother as a gift.

“I’m a huge Messi fan, and it’s been a joy to watch him play throughout his career. This is undoubtedly the possession/collectible that means the most to me,” concluded Garcia. This incident is from nearly 20 years ago, but there have been more recent examples of Messi showing his gracious side.

Last year after Inter Miami’s defeat to Cincinnati, a young  supporter who approached the Argentine to get a photo and autograph. However, he was stopped in his tracks by Messi’s bodyguard Yassine Cheuko. But once Messi was aware of what happened he turned to the child and took a picture and signed his jersey.

Fans also witnessed Messi consoling a young fan who had walked out with the teams before the Leagues Cup match between Inter Miami and Atlanta United. As the fan stood in front of Messi, he was overcome with emotion and burst into tears. To comfort him the World Cup winner whispered something into his ear and held him by the shoulders.

While the story from 2006th left Ohanian in awe, the American entrepreneur himself boasts a possession that features the 8x Ballon d’Or winner. 

Alexis Ohanian has a unique collector’s item featuring Lionel Messi!

A year ago, Alex Ohanian shared with his 819k followers that he owned a trading card of Lionel Messi. Alongside a caption that read, “Great looking @leomessi,” he posted a picture of the collectible item. Notably, it was the 2018 National Treasures Century Collection Material Patch Autograph Lionel Messi #2. Certainly, it must be worth a fortune, but how much exactly?

Last year, bidding for the card started at $18,000. However, given Messi’s stellar performances on the pitch since then, the price would likely have inflated. Although the exact current market price is unknown, reportedly, it is estimated close to the price of Ohanian’s wife Serena Williams’ trading card—a Serena Williams 2003 NetPro signed patch rookie card, which sold for an impressive $266,400.

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Be that as it may, possessions like these from collectors underscore the immense fandom surrounding legendary athletes like Lionel Messi. For those who carry the sport and its greats at heart, to retain such items is truly like keeping treasure!