Panini's 2026 World Cup Stickers Remain World's Most Iconic Collectible
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Some of the most iconic pieces of vintage soccer aren't actually cards, they are stickers. With the World Cup right around the corner here in the United States, we're ramping up our World Cup Coverage here at Collectibles on SI.
The Panini sticker album dropped on the Panini UK site last week, but comes to the US site this week and is available in different sizes and formats. With all 48 countries included and 18 players per team, it is the biggest set Panini has ever produced, with 980 stickers to collect. Each team section includes 18 players, a team badge, and a team photo.
New Additions to the US Format
The format details are a little different in the US versus the rest of the world. The US boxes contain parallels to chase. Adding rarity and scarcity.
Per Panini, "Hunt for a full lineup of parallels only availble in the North American version, including Blue, Red, Purple, Green, and the ultra-rare Black 1-of-1!"
Many of the Black 1-of-1's from the 2022 set sold for four figures, led by the Lionel Messi Black 1-of-1 that sold for a record $139,200 after he and the Argentina squad won the 2022 World Cup.
2022 has the record for top world cup sticker sales, but there are some massive stickers out there as well from older World Cup's.
The 1994 Complete World Cup Sticker Booklet with the Ronaldo Nazario rookie sticker sold for $8,580 back in 2021. Lionel Messi's first World Cup Sticker from the 2006 World Cup in Germany sold for $7,877 in 2020. Rounding out the list of top sticker sales was Kylian Mbappe's 2018 World Cup Gold Back, which sold for $6,850 in 2021.
The History of Panini World Cup Stickers
The World Cup sticker album has been one of the hottest commodities in Europe every World Cup cycle. Fans rush to complete sets as fast as they can.
Even the players are chasing themselves.
With the addition of the US-specific bonuses, the chase gets even more intense as you can find low-numbered sticks from some of the best in the world and up-and-coming prospects. Ideal for collectors, kids, and World Cup enthusiasts. Great for trading, completing your album, or adding rare parallels to your collection!
The album and stickers are available now on Panini's website, as well as Walmart, Target, Amazon, Walgreens, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and additional retailers and hobby shops nationwide. Fans can also build their collections digitally through the FIFA Panini app. Albums are sold separately.
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Brendan has worked for various platforms, including The Washington Post, SB Nation, NBC Sports Washington, and more, covering everything from college basketball to fantasy football and betting. An avid collector as a kid, he got back into collecting in 2021 and is a dedicated soccer, football, and basketball collector.
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