MEXICO CITY — Panini World Cup stickers were displayed in the historic center in Mexico City on June 16, 2026. The display is part of Panini's final World Cup collectibles campaign before the company loses its FIFA license to Fanatics after the 2030 tournament.

Panini produced more than 2 billion packs of World Cup stickers by the start of the 2026 tournament. Each pack contains seven stickers. The 2026 Panini World Cup album includes 980 distinct stickers. The field for the 2026 World Cup was set on April 1, 2026, featuring 48 teams.

Adam Martin, co-owner of Dave and Adam's Card World, brought boxes of Panini stickers and World Cup albums to a Formula 1 race in May 2026. His company, which has shops in New York and Europe, has sold a large quantity of the stickers. "We've sold an unbelievable amount of the stickers," Martin said. "When I walked in with this box of cards, 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." He added, "We thought the order we placed months ago would be enough to tide us over. We've had to reorder twice."

Panini began producing World Cup stickers depicting players and teams in 1970 after four Italian brothers paid $1,000 for the rights. The company started releasing sticker variations with special borders during the World Cup in Qatar. Panini produces ultra-rare, black-bordered, 1-of-1 stickers featuring players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lamine Yamal. Jason Howarth, senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations for Panini America, noted the interest in these rare items. "We're tracking and following through social media who pulls the black 1-of-1s. 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," Howarth said.

A pack of Panini World Cup stickers costs approximately $2. Panini also operates a digital collection for World Cup stickers. In early June 2026, Panini established a truck at Rockefeller Center in New York for fans to trade stickers, which thousands of people visited in the evenings. Approximately 8,000 collectors gathered at a stadium in Santiago, Chile, to swap Panini stickers.

Sammi Kaewsawang, a content creator from Long Beach, California, spent 7 hours and 47 minutes placing all 980 stickers into a Panini World Cup album. "Now I'm on my second one, helping my fiance's nephew complete his. What made the experience so memorable was the people I met along the way. Trading stickers brought me together with fans of all ages," Kaewsawang said. "I've made genuine new friends though this hobby, and that means more than completing the collection itself."

Matt Blazey, a content creator from Milton Keynes, England, described the situation. "It is a real bittersweet moment. 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," Blazey said. Fanatics' brand Topps will take over the rights to produce World Cup cards, stickers, and other FIFA collectibles after the 2030 tournament, which will be held in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. Fanatics recently acquired the license for Premier League collectibles. Martin acknowledged the change. "We're very privileged to be a significant partner with both Panini and Fanatics. We try not to pick sides. 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," Martin said.