FC Barcelona Home Jersey 2019/20 – Lionel Messi – No. 10 – Player Issued – Nike Vaporknit – Rakuten – UEFA Champions League

Lionel Messi's Player Issued jersey: the most iconic piece of contemporary football collecting

The FC Barcelona home shirt for the 2019/2020 season in Player Issued version is the most coveted piece of football memorabilia in contemporary collecting worldwide. Made with Nike Vaporknit—Nike's top-of-the-line match fabric technology, reserved exclusively for professional supply—it differs from the retail version by its extreme lightness, seamless internal construction, and micro-perforations on the fabric that ensure maximum ventilation during competitive performance. The design featuring large alternating blue and claret squares is the most discussed and recognizable kit in Barcelona's recent history, in stark contrast to the tradition of vertical stripes. The Rakuten sponsor is emblazoned on the front in white, while on the back, UNICEF—the club's long-standing non-commercial partner—appears in yellow. Two official patches on the left sleeve certify its use in a Champions League match: the UEFA Starball and the Cup badge with the number 5, commemorating the five Champions League titles won by Barcelona in its history. The internal tag bears the code "GFA PROMO ES," identifying this as an official team supply jersey for FC Barcelona's squad—not a commercial version. Made in Thailand, size L in the Vaporknit Player scale (equivalent to match-worn). The Catalan senyera is embroidered inside the collar.

The player: Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi (Rosario, June 24, 1987) is universally recognized as the greatest footballer of all time, a forward of absolute genius capable of redefining the boundaries of what's possible in modern football. Having grown up in Barcelona's La Masia—after moving from Argentina at the age of 13 thanks to the club's support for his medical treatment—he spent 21 years in Blaugrana before leaving Camp Nou in the summer of 2021. With Barcelona, he won 10 La Liga titles, 4 UEFA Champions Leagues, 7 Copa del Rey, and countless individual awards, including 8 Ballon d'Ors—an absolute record in world football history. In the 2019/20 season, wearing this jersey, Messi was among the protagonists of one of the most complex and dramatic seasons for the Catalan club, which ended with a sensational 8-2 elimination by Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in Lisbon. That season was also one of the last before his departure from Barça, which occurred in August 2021 amidst tears and global disbelief. This jersey is, therefore, a document of the final act of an unrepeatable era.

What is a Nike Vaporknit Player Issued jersey?

A Nike Vaporknit Player Issued jersey is the top-tier version in Nike's kit hierarchy, produced exclusively for the official supply of professional teams. It differs from the commercial Vapor Match version (which is already high-quality) due to its Vaporknit construction—an ultra-thin, perforated technical fabric without internal seams that reduces weight to an absolute minimum. For collectors, a Vaporknit Player Issued jersey is hierarchically superior to any version available on shelves, being produced in strictly limited quantities only for the team's squad.

Authenticity and MTM guarantee

MTM Memorabilia is the Italian reference point for discerning collectors of authentic sports memorabilia. Each jersey is selected with rigorous criteria for authenticity, provenance, and quality by our experts. The originality of this item is directly guaranteed by MTM. Every shipment is made with rigid, shock-resistant, and moisture-proof packaging to ensure maximum protection during transport. Express courier delivery within 24/72 hours of payment confirmation, both for Italy and abroad.