PSA refuse to authenticate Lionel Messi autographs as Topps replaces cards following investigation

A growing controversy is shaking the sports card hobby. A report published by The Athletic has revealed that PSA, the leading third-party card authenticator, has refused to authenticate Lionel Messi autographs on multiple Topps cards, including those from some of the company’s most premium sets.

According to the report, PSA has declined to grade Messi cards featuring certified autographs across at least five Topps products, including 2022-23 Topps Dynasty UEFA Champions League, where individual Messi cards can sell for tens of thousands, if not more.

As a result, Topps has agreed to replace certain cards following their own investigation, and collectors are now raising serious concerns about who actually signed these cards, despite Topps’ certification.

PSA refuses Messi autographs in multiple Topps sets

The issue first came to light in March, when The Athletic reported that PSA had rejected a Messi autograph pulled from Topps Dynasty by collector David Rodriguez. The card in question was numbered 1/10 and included a Paris Saint-Germain patch and on-card signature.

PSA has refused to authenticate Lionel Messi autograph cards across multiple Topps products, raising serious questions about who actually signed them.

Emails from Topps to the affected collector confirmed that remakes of the cards were being planned, with the use of the word “cards” suggesting the issue could impact several Messi autos in the set. Topps produced 204 Messi cards in the 2022-23 Dynasty release.

Over the past few months, PSA has declined to authenticate Messi autos from the following Topps sets:

• 2022-23 Topps Dynasty UEFA Champions League
• 2024 Topps Chrome Sapphire MLS
• 2024 Topps Chrome MLS
• 2024 Topps Finest MLS
• 2021-22 Topps Finest Flashbacks UEFA Champions League

While PSA has softened its public stance, clarifying that its team is “not stating that the autograph is a forgery” but is “not comfortable rendering an opinion,” this leaves collectors without much clarity.

Topps has not publicly commented on the matter and has only responded to direct correspondence with affected collectors. According to The Athletic, Topps has offered remakes or replacements, including highly valuable rookies like Lamine Yamal in some cases.

Why collectors are worried about this development

For collectors, the lack of transparency around who signed the cards is deeply concerning. Topps has long promoted its certified autographs as “Topps Witnessed” and verified. But with the leading grader in the hobby unwilling to authenticate Messi’s signature, and even hinting it may be the work of a family member, trust is being tested.

Rodriguez told The Athletic that he spent $1,200 on the box that landed him the Messi redemption, waited months to receive the card, only to be told it couldn’t be authenticated.

“To be honest, I’m pretty worried,” Rodriguez said.

What does this mean for Messi collectors?

The fallout could be far-reaching. Messi cards have long been among the most desirable in the football card market, particularly in Topps’ flagship UEFA releases. PSA’s refusal to authenticate autos is likely to affect resale values and collector confidence, especially for modern Messi autograph cards.

Dan Jamieson, CEO of Icons, a memorabilia company that has worked with Messi for years, told The Athletic that Messi’s autograph has remained consistent during private signings.

Still, some collectors are now questioning whether their Messi cards are legitimate. As Scott Kaczmarek of Soccer Cards HQ noted, “If they hit a Messi (autograph card) and try to get it graded and then it comes back fake or it’s not authenticated, that’s really bad for us.”

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