World Cup sticker fever empties shelves in Spain as Panini packs sell out | OneFootball

World Cup sticker packs have vanished from Spanish shelves within a month of launch, as demand for Panini’s FIFA 2026 album surges. According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, many retailers have run out of stock nationwide.

Panini Spain managing director Lluís Torrent said Qatar 2022, which coincided with the school term, had been their best World Cup to date, but he is certain this edition will surpass it given the explosive start.

He added that the rush is not unique to Spain, with heavy demand across many of the 130 markets where the album is sold, and in some, such as Brazil, even higher.

Completing the album is harder than ever. This is the largest collection in more than 50 years, with 980 stickers across 112 pages, driven by FIFA’s expansion to 48 teams, 20 per nation plus 20 special stickers.

Each pack contains seven stickers and costs 1.5 euros in Spain. In theory the minimum outlay is 210 euros, but a realistic total is north of 300 euros due to duplicates.

Collectors of all ages have been left waiting. A kiosk owner in Madrid’s Chamberí district said he believes he could have sold 10 boxes of 50 packs in a day, each priced at 75 euros, and has faced shortages since May.

Torrent said the stock shortfall was unexpected and not pleasant, and that Panini are working to restore supply within a week or 10 days. He also rejected claims that some stickers are easier or harder to find, saying they are printed in equal numbers.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo