Lionel Messi memorabilia stolen from Paris shop

Two pieces of Lionel Messi memorabilia have been stolen from a football shop in central Paris, adding a high-profile theft to the unrest affecting the French capital. The items are a Barcelona shirt and a captain’s armband, both bearing the former Argentina star’s signature.

A video circulating on social media shows two hooded people displaying the objects near Place de la République. The footage emerged only hours before the Champions League meeting between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, two clubs closely associated with Messi’s career. The circumstances surrounding the theft and the identity of those shown in the video have not been established in the supplied information.

The value of the items has not been formally assessed. Signed or match-worn Messi memorabilia can command significant sums, however. Six shirts worn by the Argentine during the 2022 World Cup sold together for more than $7.8 million in December 2023. The stolen shirt and armband could therefore be worth several thousand dollars on illicit markets, or more over time depending on their authenticity, history and rarity.