{"id":"PREMIER8335","refId":8335,"auctionType":"PREMIER","gradingService":"BGS","grade":9.5,"year":2004,"category":"Soccer","title":"2004 Panini Sports Mega Cracks La Liga Lionel Messi ROOKIE #71 BGS 9.5 GEM MINT","purchasePrice":"28200.00","soldDate":"2023-07-27T19:00:00.000 PDT","updatedAt":"2023-08-02T09:37:08.000 PDT","mediumImage1":"https://dilxwvfkfup17.cloudfront.net/eyJpdiI6IjZVb0t2UUpFYzBQRE51NDhBT0JwWmc9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoieHZmd3NIbTJ6MGdkazdRWEl4K3BuYXJ2MFFUYnVXbXl6M0pGZ1k2bDRPRytJQmxrU3pkQ01zL3ppUGJMc3NKQXZ0VCtKZU5BQlN3M3FSczhTRG1LdXc9PSIsIm1hYyI6IjZlOTE2M2M5MDVmYjJkM2VlYzRhZmIxOTYxZjg3YmY5NmNiOWI1NjNhMDdjNDA0NzgxM2IzYjJhN2EwNjA5YzUiLCJ0YWciOiIifQ==","mediumImage2":"https://dilxwvfkfup17.cloudfront.net/eyJpdiI6ImpaeHdTMjRWbVZDekx1ekhndWZiMEE9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiTS9VaUxvNlVVTU85UFBZc3lVNUgvQkRnWEMwU0NjbnlGNFdFblRpb1NsNmdaTy82dnZyZDRBc0w2TmFkRkpoWXJLc0VIcVlkeUlheFhRWnVNRkVBRWc9PSIsIm1hYyI6IjMzNTA0OTUzYTY5NDkxOGIxYmI4OTEzNWI1NTVmMDg2ZjZiNmNmYjlhZmI5ZTc0NjUzMGU2Y2UxN2UyNzJlM2YiLCJ0YWciOiIifQ==","largeImage1":"https://dilxwvfkfup17.cloudfront.net/eyJpdiI6Ik9ockhFRDRZQ2dyVUNSeUNOM0gzV2c9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiaGxrVnU3Nk9mc1M4NXU1bldHZWJvS2pKQUk5MWh5ckRUZGh1M3kyUUU0MGlXTFVHUGxKR0Vud3UrMjliMlZSWExEMWtrQ0I0WWlmanRjRFJ4eWdzWHc9PSIsIm1hYyI6IjJkNTA5NzM1YzlkY2I1MDNmMTc1ZDNkZjJmZTFjYmVmYzZlYjI0ODA2NDc4ZTE0ZmEzNGZkYWE0MzQ3YjI5OTMiLCJ0YWciOiIifQ==","largeImage2":"https://dilxwvfkfup17.cloudfront.net/eyJpdiI6IjdSbGEwSzRhSXZQeWxWS0FMZWR3NXc9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoibjVpTmFuNXBHNkNDL0c3Y3BBaDRjTGhjVWduazJ6NnRKSWcyUTd0SFdFVXJ2bFdRMTF3a1YvOWRIV2NUSmt1Mmxycjd6S0NsdmkyLzlIZERpQzBZbEE9PSIsIm1hYyI6ImE1MTkxNzIxZTVlZGQxYjc0M2M5MGUyY2Y0YTE3MWIxN2U3MDE3ODA4M2U4MjNiMThiNGNjYTY2NDc0Yjc5YjAiLCJ0YWciOiIifQ==","description":"The world almost never met Lionel Messi. At age six, Messi joined Newell’s Old Boys, a sporting club based in his home city of Rosario, Argentina, where he quickly became one of the youth side’s top talents. With the nearly unstoppable “Machine of ‘87” (nicknamed as a nod to its members’ birth year), Messi scored almost 500 goals during six seasons, though at age ten, he nearly had to give up the sport for good. That year, doctors diagnosed Messi with a growth hormone deficiency. Messi’s family could not afford the costly treatments, and Newell’s management refused to help cushion the costs, so the family looked to Europe for an answer. With relatives in Catalonia, the Messi family sought to arrange a trial with Barcelona, though first-team director Charly Rexach and the club board argued about signing an international player at such a young age. But after receiving an ultimatum, Rexach reached for the nearest piece of paper he could find and inked the preteen to his first contract on a paper napkin. Messi and his family subsequently relocated to Spain, though because of transfer issues, Messi played so sparingly and spoke so infrequently that his teammates thought he was mute. Gradually, however, Messi befriended his fellow Infantiles, and after completing his growth hormone treatments at age 14, the soccer world changed forever. Messi scored a team-high 36 goals in his first full season with Barça’s youth side, proving himself a worthy investment. Many collectors say the same about the soccer icon’s rookie cards, such as this 2004 Panini Sports Mega Cracks offering—Messi’s most sought-after first-year issue. As Messi’s first card from a major card manufacturer, high-grade examples of the Spanish release always draw a crowd, and this BGS 9.5 offering will give one collector a chance to live out their dream of owning Messi’s rookie.","serial":"0007817556","isComplete":true,"paymentStatus":"PAID","itemVariantId":"54f176c3-fc19-5956-9f8e-31de662b80db","listingUuid":"39b72c5a-16b4-11ee-9586-0a58a9feac02","purchasedQuantity":0}