Panini has launched it’s latest sticker album in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States – and collectors have their work cut out to complete it
The FIFA World Cup is nearly upon us – and as always, Panini is commemorating the event with a sticker album showcasing the players from all 48 participating nations. The tournament, hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, gets underway in Mexico City on June 11 and concludes in East Rutherford on July 19.
Now, kids and indeed, big kids have began collecting stickers of their favourite players – including those representing England and Scotland – in an attempt to fill the album. Each pack containing seven stickers costs collectors £1.25, with nearly a thousand different ones to find.
The prospect of finishing the collection inspired one England supporter to work out the potential expense. And prepare yourself, because it’s substantial!
In a TikTok video, the Three Lions fan asked: “Have you ever wondered how much it would cost to fill a Panini World Cup 2026 sticker album? Well, I’m going to do the maths and let you know.”
The supporter outlined that this year’s competition is the largest to date, showcasing nations that have never previously qualified – including Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Curaçao and Jordan. And naturally, additional countries means additional stickers.
“Each team has 20 stickers, so 48 times 20 equals 960 stickers just for the teams,” the fan continued. “And then there are a few extras, such as the official emblem – ones you’re not actually interested in, but need to collect – and then there’s a history thing, so all in all, there are another 20 there, making 980 stickers in total.”
The fan then worked out that £1.25 packets, split by seven, would cost 17.8p per sticker. So, assuming the collector somehow manages to avoid any ‘swaps’ or duplicates, 980 unique stickers would set you back roughly £175.
“It’s ridiculous,” he added. “Who is going to do that with a kid? The only person who is going to fill it is an adult.”
Based on the reactions to the video, viewers were equally shocked by the cost.
Responding to the clip, one former collector said: “The last time I got one of these was in 1990. I didn’t even have half the book full, and I was getting more duplicates than ones that I needed. I didn’t have anyone to swap with like you would have in school. There is no way you are filling that for less than a grand.”
A second person confessed: “Just started collecting these after picking up the free album and now I’m regretting it!”
A third added: “It’s £1,000 based on the basis of swaps and duplicates.”
Meanwhile, a fourth TikTok user commented: “Looking at duplicates, you’d be about £400.” To which the fan replied: “You’re probably right. You can get the album for free, though!”
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire, however, reckons that completing the sticker album is likely to cost significantly more.
“At an estimated price of £2 for 7 Panini stickers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup it works out at approximately £2,030 to fill the 980 sticker album unless you swap with other collectors,” he said on X.
Of course, Kieran was off the mark with his £2 prediction. However, even at £1.25 his estimate would total £1,268.75 to complete the collection.
The FIFA association with Panini goes back over 50 years, with the first World Cup sticker book released ahead of the 1970 finals in Mexico, and will have spanned 60 years by 2030.
However, FIFA revealed on Thursday that it had extended its contract with Fanatics to include collectables, covering FIFA tournaments and events from 2031. As a result, the Panini World Cup sticker album is set to become a relic of the past.
Panini secured a deal with FIFA in December 2023 to remain as its exclusive partner for official stickers, trading cards, trading-card games and digital collectables, which included this summer’s World Cup, the 2030 tournament and the 2027 Women’s World Cup, along with other FIFA tournaments and events.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.