According to a report by British media talkSPORT, a Barcelona jersey belonging to Messi was recently auctioned for £48,608.

The jersey was worn in August 2012 against Manchester United and was signed after the preseason friendly match, which ended in a 0-0 draw.

This jersey was part of a collection sold by former Manchester United masseur Rod Thornley through a match-worn shirt auction platform.

Ronaldo Defeated

A jersey issued by Ronaldo during his time at Real Madrid was also auctioned at the same time as Messi's jersey, but its transaction price could not compare to that of the Argentine star, eventually selling for £7,795.

Messi's jersey would have been fiercely contested by Manchester United players.

However, Thornley, with the help of an old friend, successfully defeated the competitors.

He told the match-worn shirt auction platform: "A few days before the game, I messaged Pique and said, 'I've never asked you for anything, but I need Messi's shirt from this game.'"

"At the end of the game, Gerard came into our changing room, grabbed me, and led me directly into their changing room. Messi was still wearing that jersey then.

"He took off his jersey, signed it for me while I sat next to him, and then shook my hand. It was truly incredible."

Manchester United Jerseys Also Auctioned

Previously, Thornley had also auctioned match-worn, match-issued, and match-prepared jerseys of Jonathan David, Mathew Ryan, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, and Nicky Butt. These jerseys were collected by Thornley during his time at the club.

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