Lionel Messi scores first million-dollar card in private sale

A Lionel Messi rookie card from the 2004 Panini Mega Cracks set has set a new record with a private sale exceeding $1 million, as announced by Fanatics Collect on social media.

This sale comes less than a month after the same PSA 10 graded card was sold privately for $825,000 through Goldin, indicating a rapid increase in its market value.

Prior to these recent transactions, the previous record for this card was $322,080, established in January 2024, highlighting a significant surge in its worth over a short period.

Out of the 885 copies graded by PSA, only 19 have received a PSA 10 rating, underscoring the rarity and high condition of the card involved in these record sales.

According to Market Movers, Messi cards have generated $5.4 million in sales over the past year, with a notable 82.7% increase in sales volume in the last 30 days, excluding these two private record sales.