Digital artwork of Lionel Messi’s favorite goal sold for $1.87M to mystery buyer

“A Goal in Life: Messi x Refik Anadol,” the artwork created by world-renowned artist Refik Anadol using artificial intelligence and inspired by global soccer star Lionel Messi’s favorite goal, was auctioned at Christie’s for $1.87 million on Tuesday. The auction house has not disclosed the identity of the buyer.

All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Inter Miami CF Foundation, which plans to use the funds to support a variety of charitable initiatives. This includes a partnership with UNICEF aimed at enhancing education programs in Argentina, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti.

In an exclusive interview with The Athletic before the auction, Anadol expressed his hope the sculpture won’t disappear into private hands. “This isn’t just a collaboration between two people, it’s a dialogue between two disciplines,” he said. “It’s not artist meets artist; it’s sport meets art. And that’s what makes it so fresh and powerful.”

Anadol spent several weeks creating this one-of-a-kind digital art project using machine and AI to reconstruct Messi’s favorite goal in 3D, effectively bringing a 16-year-old memory into the present with technology that didn’t exist in 2009.

The goal itself was a masterpiece. In 2009, a 22-year-old Messi was playing for Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona against Manchester United, facing his future archrival, Cristiano Ronaldo, only weeks before the Portuguese star’s move to Real Madrid that summer. In the 70th minute of the Champions League final in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, with Barcelona already up 1-0, Xavi Hernández floated a pinpoint cross into the box. Despite standing just 5 feet 7 (1.65 meters) tall, Messi (nicknamed La Pulga, “the Flea” in English for his small stature) rose above the towering 6-2 Rio Ferdinand and met the ball with a perfectly timed header, sending it curling into the far corner of the net. He leapt so high his boot flew off, but it didn’t matter. With arms outstretched and a grin of disbelief, Messi celebrated a goal that would go down in history.

The artwork had been on display in New York City prior to its sale. (Refik Anadol Studio)

“It’s hard to choose just one, there have been so many,” Messi told the crew who interviewed him months ago in an interview that had not been shared with the public until now. “That goal is my favorite,” he smiled. “It was the most beautiful and unique, because it was a header, I jumped really high, which is rare for me,” he explained.

“To see a work of art born from Messi’s most cherished goal not only captivate thousands of visitors but also generate vital support for children’s education across Latin America and the Caribbean is profoundly moving,” Ximena Caminos, the curator who facilitated the collaboration, said in a statement after the auction. “This sale is a testament to the power of art, technology, and sport to create real-world impact. We hope this is just the beginning — that many more around the world will have the chance to experience this emotional, immersive journey into memory, movement and meaning.”

Anadol’s work has been on display at Christie’s New York in Rockefeller Center since July 12, coinciding with Christie’s 10th Art+Tech Summit. Over 10 days, thousands of soccer fans, collectors and art lovers experienced the artwork in person, according to Sebastian Sanchez, Christie’s manager of digital sales. The bid started at $1.5 million (£1.1m).

This is not Anadol’s first charity sale. Three years ago, Christie’s sold another mutant digital sculpture he created inspired by Gaudí’s Casa Batlló for $1,380,000. In 2024, a collection of six shirts worn by Messi during the 2022 World Cup became the most expensive sports memorabilia sold that year after being bought at auction for $7.8 million (£6.1m).

As for the future of “A Goal in Life,” the public displays ended with the auction. The buyer of the 20-by-12 digital art piece will be able to work with the artist’s studio to install the piece wherever they choose, providing their own hardware.

(Top photo: Denis Doyle / UEFA / UEFA via Getty Images)