Source:REUTERS/RODRIGO VALLE
[Saba Sports News] Recently, a signed Lionel Messi trading card was sold in Shanghai for a sky-high price of 15.2 million yuan (US$2.203 million), setting a new global record for a football trading card sale. It is reported that just one year ago, this card could only fetch 50,000 yuan, representing an increase of more than 300 times in a single year. The one-of-one signed Messi card was acquired through an offline transaction organized by Baka Auction, a well-known card auction service provider. This card is Messi’s first signed card in the standard trading card size — only one exists in the world, with no parallel versions. The reason this card was valued at only 50,000 yuan in 2025 was that it was produced by a small company called Futera. In the collecting community, cards from smaller manufacturers are often overlooked. It was not until this year that a collector organizing his Messi card collection discovered the card’s unique significance.
The editor believes that sports collectibles have become an alternative asset class today. Trading cards have evolved from a fan hobby into a new investment target alongside real estate and gold. Top rare cards offer inflation resistance and high value appreciation. The annual return of Messi’s card exceeds 28%, far outperforming traditional assets.