The departure of Argentina football star Lionel Messi from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain (PSG) had shocked the whole football world and left fans just like the star emotional.
Watching him struggling to hold back his tears during the press conference had indeed been an emotional moment for all Messi fans out there. Forget the Messi fans, people who barely knew about football could also be seen with their eyes filled and sympathising with the football legend.
Now, in very interesting and bizarre news following his emotional departure, the tissue used by the star to wipe his tears is claimed to have been up for an auction on a website named Meikeduo. It has been priced at $1 million.
As per a report by Gulf Today, the tissue was collected by an anonymous person after Messi threw it in the bin.
The person then put up advertisements on popular websites and announced the whopping price.
Messi had addressed his final Barca press conference on August 8 where he bade an emotional farewell to the Spanish football club after his successful 21-year-old career with the club. During the press conference, as Messi started tearing up, his wife Antonela Rocuzzo passed him a tissue to wipe his tears.
Justifying the hefty price, according to the seller's caption online, the discarded tissue "contains Messi's genetic material" that one could use to "clone" another footballer like Messi, Ladbible Sports added. Although the Mercado Libre page where the item was listed on not currently available, screenshots of the ad has gone viral on social media. However, many raised doubts over the authenticity of the claim.
Messi has signed a two-year contract with the French club Paris Saint-Germain. The contract has a possibility to be extended beyond the said time period. He also captains the Argentina national team, which recently won the Copa America cup this year. This was the first major cup that the national team won after a dry period spanning 28 years.