World Cup 2026 sticker fever grips Valencia, families trade and hunt Messi, Cristiano and Lamine | OneFootball

On the eve of Spain’s opener, Valencia’s Central Market thronged with families swapping World Cup 2026 stickers, with Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal the top targets.

According to Superdeporte, the analogue album has endured a century in the city. The official book has 112 pages priced at 5 euros and needs 980 stickers, including 68 premium and 20 extras in four colours.

Each packet costs 1.5 euros and contains seven stickers. A flawless run would mean 140 packets and 210 euros.

Every Sunday traders shelter under awnings to sell, swap and sometimes buy, with Messi and Ronaldo still coveted and Mbappe and Lamine Yamal surging. Individual stickers fetch almost 10 euros, with some gold extras reaching 100 euros.

Collector Victor Gisbert, 47, spent about 350 euros and sourced two boxes of 50 for 150 euros via contacts. He also traded through cromosrepes.com with collectors in Spain, England and Italy, adding 30 or 40 euros.

Shortages have seen shops cap sales to five or even two per person, boxes flipped on Wallapop for nearly double, and Cabanyal hit hard. Panini did not expect the shortfall and is working to increase production.

Panini makes 93 million euros in the Iberian market, holds FIFA’s World Cup sticker rights and expects this edition to surpass Qatar 2022 after an unprecedented start.

The squeeze is not unique, Argentina endured a figuritas crisis in 2022. For Levante fan Rafael Bitrán, the thrill of opening a packet remains a timeless bridge in a digital era.

Source: Superdeporte