The decades-long boom in soccer books consists of 980 unique stickers, including 68 “special” stickers in a 112-page album.
Published April 29, 2026
For generations of soccer fans, no World Cup is complete without the thrill of opening a bag of Panini stickers and discovering Zico, Franz Beckenbauer, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi staring back at them.
Ever since Italy’s Panini introduced the first sticker collection at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, completing sets has been an obsession for young fans around the world, and replacing play areas has become mandatory, but usually unsuccessful.
But this year’s World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, will pose the biggest challenge yet and will require a significant amount of pocket money.
980 unique stickers, including 68 “special” stickers, will be needed to fill the 112-page album, which will go on sale from Thursday as 48 countries prepare for the biggest tournament in history in June and July.
Individual packets of seven stickers are sold in the UK for £1.25 ($1.69). So, even if you had the impossibly perfect luck and no duplicates, you would still need 140 packets and cost £175.
However, statistically, you may need to spend more than 1,000 packets to get all the players in an album, which means spending around £1,000 ($1,351).
Panini’s biggest ever collection was unveiled at a special event held at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday, where former England players David James, John Barnes and Gary Cahill relived their sticker-hunting days.
“As someone who grew up collecting Panini stickers, exchanging them with friends on the playground and completing albums for each tournament, this album has always marked the true beginning of the World Cup,” said former Chelsea defender Cahill.
“Seeing myself in the collection during my playing days was a surreal and proud moment, and a reminder of how these stickers become part of the World Cup story.”
Panini says live ‘Swap Shops’ will be held across the UK in May, giving collectors the chance to find their must-have players, while ‘Sticker Boxes’ will be touring the country distributing sticker packets and albums.
Once the World Cup buzz dies down, it might be wise to keep a copy in your loft, as the market for vintage stickers is booming.
In 2021, a sticker from a 1979 Panini belonging to then-19-year-old Maradona was sold at auction for £470,000 (approximately $556,000 at the time).
