Topps will be replacing a number of ultra high-end cards signed by Lionel Messi following an internal investigation into their authenticity.
According to a report by The Athletic, a 2022-23 Dynasty UEFA Champions League Messi Autograph that failed to be authenticated by grading company PSA prompted the potential replacement of cards signed by the soccer legend in the set.
“Following our investigation, we will proceed with remakes of the Topps Dynasty Lionel Messi cards,” a Topps collector support senior manager wrote to the customer in an email reviewed by The Athletic.
Including the Dynasty card, The Athletic reported PSA has now failed to authenticate Messi autographs from at least five Topps sets.
Topps didn’t immediately respond to cllct’s request to confirm the company planned to remake Messi’s Dynasty autographs.
PSA didn’t immediately respond to cllct’s request for comment on the recent failure of a number of Messi autographs from Topps sets.
One of Topps’ most popular high-end products, cards from the Dynasty brand are often highly coveted on the secondary market due to the use of on-card autographs and game-used memorabilia.
To date, the highest sale for any Messi card from the 2022-23 Dynasty UEFA Champions League set is the $103,701 paid for a 1/1 at Goldin Auctions in September 2024.
“The signing of all Topps autograph cards is witnessed by Topps representatives to guarantee authenticity,” that card’s reverse reads. “The relics contained on this card are not from any specific match, event, or season.”
According to data tool Card Ladder, there have been at least nine public sales of Messi autographs from the set that have topped $5,000 and three that have topped $10,000.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture. He was previously the Collectibles Editor at Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on X and Instagram @benmburrows.