Meeting up with the world's best footballer - Leo Messi

On Wednesday evening last week, the icons.com met up with Lionel Messi, surely soon to be crowned World Footballer of the Year. This is the fourth time we've met the Argentinian maestro, the first signing session was way back in 2006 on the same day as Liverpool were beating West Ham FA Cup Final.

It pays to talent spot, as back then he had just broken into the Barcelona first team and was on the fringes of the Argentian national team. Since then Leo has gone from strength to strength and his products have flown out our online store, and from Harrods - icons.com's exclusive retail outlet.

This time around we were able to ask Leo to sign a range of exclusive photographs all from the 2009 Champions League final. There are four classic shots available, one of him scoring past a shocked Van Der Sar, one holding up his adidas boot in celebration, one where he's raising the European Cup above his head and, finally, one of him running to the crowd, arms outstretched in classic, iconic pose.

Lionel was more than happy to sign a range of his special adidas F50i Tunit blue boots, the same ones he wears every week in the Nou Camp. These really are collector's items and look especially good when framed. Here's a photo of him signing one of the boots.

As well as a number of Barcelona current home shirts, we also got him to sign five of last year's Champions League shirt with a special "Leo Messi, Campeons 2009" signature. We'll be framing these in the new icons.com style and they'll be on the site shortly. We expect them to sell out quickly, so watch this space.

Icons.com products are always signed by the world's best of course, but if anyone can claim to be the world's best footballer, it's the Barcelona's number 10.