Panini reeling as FIFA turns to Fanatics from 2031 before 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

Panini enters the 2026 World Cup seeking a North American breakthrough, yet FIFA’s long-term deal with Fanatics from 2031 has dulled the mood. The company has held the sticker licence since 1970 and launched its 2026 album one day earlier.

L'Équipe reports that FIFA and Fanatics have signed an exclusive collectibles licence, with Panini’s deal running to 2030. Panini France chief Sébastien Dallain expressed shock, conceding money can outweigh history, but said motivation for this World Cup and the next remains intact.

Months of work in Modena produced an album of 980 stickers for the first 48-team finals. Printing began in February and all stickers are cut, mixed and packed in Emilia-Romagna at up to 11 million a day. Panini says all stickers are printed in equal quantities.

World Cup years typically double revenue in France, though early sales look similar to past editions. Most packs now contain seven not five, priced at one euro fifty instead of one. One in 100 packs adds a bonus sticker for 20 players in bronze, silver or gold, and late qualifiers cost around two months of sales.

To suit North America, Panini has tweaked the album there with multi-colour variants echoing trading cards, alongside its card ranges. The company faces a strengthened rival after Fanatics bought Topps in 2022, took the NBA licence and produced the 2024 Euro album, with lawsuits between the firms in the United States.

Fanatics hails historic deal, pledging sticker albums will continue, with Topps handling physical and digital.

Source: L'Équipe