How the World Cup sticker frenzy took over the world – and why one swap could end Panini

The humble Panini World Cup sticker album has once again captured the imagination of football fans across the world, proving its enduring appeal far beyond the pitch. Adam Martin, a collectibles shop owner, recently witnessed this phenomenon first-hand. Bringing boxes of the coveted stickers to a Formula 1 race in May, intending to give them to friends. Instead, he was met with an unexpected surge of interest. "When I walked in with this box of cards," Martin recalled, "hundreds of people of all creeds and cultures said something: ‘Where did you get those? How can I get some?’ Those Panini stickers are just that iconic collectible that goes beyond sports collectors." The tradition of collecting these iconic stickers dates back to 1970, when four Italian brothers secured the rights to produce images for a mere $1,000. Over five decades later, these collectible images of players and teams are a global sensation, with fans of all ages eagerly purchasing packs and swapping duplicates to complete their albums. This year's edition, boasting an unprecedented 980 distinct stickers, is the largest yet, partly attributed to an enlarged 48-team tournament. The immense popularity has turned them into a hot commodity, with many retailers reporting sold-out stock and backorders potentially not shipping until after the tournament champion is crowned. “We've sold an unbelievable amount of the stickers,” said Martin, one of the owners of Dave and Adam 's Card World, which has shops in New York and Europe . “We thought the order we placed months ago would be enough to tide us over,” Martin said. “We've had to reorder twice.” Soccer fans gather to trade Panini World Cup sticker albums and trading cards at the Bicentenario de La Florida stadium in Santiago, Chile, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP) Panini had produced more than 2 billion packs — each containing seven stickers — by the start of the tournament, said Jason Howarth, the senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations for Panini America. That's quite a feat considering the field wasn't set until April 1. Most stickers are not valuable by themselves, though older ones — such as the debuts of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo — can fetch hundreds of dollars. The value comes in trying to fill the World Cup album. “In European and South American culture, completing the sticker album is something almost every child does at some point,” said Matt Blazey, from Milton Keynes , England , whose YouTube channel featuring cards and collectibles has more than 62,000 subscribers. “Most rediscover it in adulthood,” Blazey said, “when they realize they have adult money, which brings back all of those memories of bringing stickers into school, showing them off to your mates and swapping them to complete the album.” Indeed, part of the beauty of the Panini stickers is in their accessibility. Each pack only costs about $2 (1.50 euros). Youth exchange Panini World Cup stickers in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) (AP) Beginning with the last World Cup in Qatar , though, Panini also began producing variations with special borders that are much more scarce. Suddenly, stickers with red, purple or orange edges became especially sought-after, and collectors have put huge bounties on ultra-rare, black-bordered, 1-of-1s — as in, one in the world — depicting Messi, Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal and other big stars. Some industry experts believe the black Messi sticker alone could command $200,000 at auction. “We're tracking and following through social media who pulls the black 1-of-1s,” Howarth said. “Neymar, Leo, Ronaldo — this is probably their last World Cup. What do those stickers sell for? That's going to be a new high mark for the category.” Hot to complete a Panini album Sammi Kaewsawang had never participated in the World Cup album experience until this year, when the content creator from Long Beach , California , decided to see how long it would take to physically peel and stick all 980 examples into the album. By the time Kaewsawang finished with Panama , the last of his 48 teams, he'd been at it for about 7 hours, 47 minutes. “Now I'm on my second one, helping my fiance's nephew complete his,” Kaewsawang said. “What made the experience so memorable was the people I met along the way. Trading stickers brought me together with fans of all ages.” That is undoubtedly part of the appeal: Even though Panini has a digital collection available, the sense of community that comes from swapping your doubles for a player you might need brings with it a quaint sense of nostalgia, not unlike the way American kids have collected and traded baseball cards for generations. (PA) Many shops help by scheduling swap meets. Panini itself has a truck at Rockefeller Center in New York , where thousands have shown up in the evenings to trade. Message boards allow fans to connect anywhere in the world, and about 8,000 collectors recently showed up at a stadium in Santiago, Chile, to swap. “I've made genuine new friends though this hobby,” Kaewsawang said, “and that means more than completing the collection itself.” The end of the Panini stickers is near, or is it? Even though Panini stickers have never been hotter — a partnership with Coca-Cola means stickers can be found under labels of certain bottles — the company is facing the end of an era after the 2030 tournament in Morocco , Portugal and Spain . The Fanatics brand Topps will take over the rights to produce World Cup cards, stickers and other FIFA collectibles, and it's unclear whether the U.S.-based company will produce a similar product as its Italian rival. “It is a real bittersweet moment,” Blazey said. “From my side, and for probably 90% of collectors at the moment — more so outside the U.S., where Panini is a household name — it's a very sad moment for this to be the end. So many people grew up collecting them, and it's synonymous with their childhood, so the loss of the license is very much seen as sacrilege.” Yet there is also hope among collectors that Fanatics, which also recently took over the license for the Premier League , can take some of its forward-thinking ideas from sportscards and apply them to a sticker product for the 2034 World Cup. It may not be the end of an era so much as a reboot. “We're very privileged to be a significant partner with both Panini and Fanatics. We try not to pick sides,” Martin said. “I think Fanatics will do an amazing job with World Cup products, but I'm not sure they'll be able to capture the cultural impact.”