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FIFA Hands Panini Big Win With World Cup Card Extension

panini fifa deal

It seems like many years since Panini got any good news. However, the company secured an important contract renewal with an extension of a partnership with FIFA. Its relationship with the soccer institution has been the basis of its global success.

But there were no guarantees that Panini and FIFA would agree to terms, in a hobby environment that has not been kind to Panini over the last couple of years.

What are the long-term implications of FIFA renewing its partnership with Panini? Keep it here for everything you need to know.

About the Panini and FIFA deal

The World Cup, held every four years, is arguably the world’s biggest and most important sports event. Panini has been releasing products for this competition, uninterrupted, since the 1970 World Cup held in Mexico.

However, there was some doubt cast over their ability to continue and have the rights provided by the International Association of Football Federation (known as FIFA as an acronym for its French name). Since sports apparel giant Fanatics made a deal to secure the NBA and NFL rights in August 2021, they have increasingly threatened the position of Panini in the hobby.

However, this deal signals some stability for Panini in a time of increasing turmoil. If the agreement had not been signed, we would now wonder about the company’s ability to survive. But this will guarantee necessary income and prestige for the company shortly.

It is also a welcome sign that Fanatics is not yet able to become an absolute monopoly in the hobby. At least not yet.

The deal will last at least until 2030. That means Panini will be producing licensed trading cards and stickers for the 2026 World Cup held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States and the 2030 World Cup hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.

The licensing agreement will also facilitate Panini products for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup (host country TBD). The agreement came in the context of FIFA’s preparation for the coming World Cup, which also included the renewal of its lucrative deal with Qatar Airways.

The statement on FIFA renewing its partnership with Panini

A mutual statement released by Panini and FIFA on December 14, 2023 read as follows:

“FIFA, the international governing body of football, and The Panini Group have announced the renewal of their long-standing partnership, which dates back over 50 years and has inspired generations of football fans since the 1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico™.

Under the new agreement, Panini will remain FIFA’s exclusive partner for official stickers, trading cards, trading card games, and digital collectibles, including for the FIFA World Cup 26™ and FIFA World Cup 2030™, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ and other FIFA competitions and events.

This latest chapter marks a significant milestone in the historic relationship between the two organizations. Panini’s traditional collections will undergo a modern transformation, including incorporating innovative digital integrations to cater to the evolving interaction with today’s fan community while simultaneously serving the same collectors and fans from the past 50 years, ever since the first collection was launched for Mexico in 1970.

The products and activations that Panini will create with FIFA will be aimed at leveraging the passion of and building a stronger relationship with football fans across the globe while encouraging participation in the sport. The program will include an emphasis on digital integrations and will also feature promotions incorporating additional FIFA partners.

In the United States, Panini America, a subsidiary of the Panini Group, the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is well underway, with plans to have several key touch points that will celebrate key World Cup milestones in advance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

What Panini and FIFA are saying about their new partnership

According to the official statements made by both partners in this agreement, they are delighted by the outcome.

“We are proud of the continuation and expansion of the partnership with FIFA. For us, this agreement represents recognition of our strong commitment to collectors and football fans in general, and we will ensure that we offer them products and experiences never seen before,” said Elisabetta Mussini, Group Licensing Director at The Panini Group. 

“Many things have changed in the last five decades, but the passion of football fans and the desire to share it with supporters worldwide is still there. Thanks to the joint effort of FIFA and Panini, their engagement will reach a new level.”

“We are thrilled to announce the renewal of our historic partnership with Panini, which highlights our shared commitment to enhancing the fan experience, embracing innovation, and building stronger connections across generations and fan communities,” said Romy Gai, Chief Business Officer, FIFA.  

“As partners for over 50 years, we now embark on a new and innovative journey to inspire, engage, and unite football fans worldwide, ensuring that the spirit of the game continues to captivate hearts and minds for years to come.”

The implications of FIFA renewing its partnership with Panini

It is hard to overstate the importance of the World Cup to Panini’s brand. Panini was founded in Modena, Italy, back in 1961. Until 1970, it was a relatively successful local company, mostly issuing cards for the local Serie A league.

But that year, it decided to buy the rights to publish a World Cup stickers album. The product was a massive hit. The album and cards were beautiful and appealed to young fans across the globe.

In addition, the 1970 World Cup was one of the most memorable in history. The legendary Pele led Brazil, which may have had the best team in history that year, to the title. The final, held in the large and imposing Estadio Azteca (the biggest in Latin America), was one of the significant landmarks of the “beautiful game.”

By issuing this album, Panini became synonymous with World Cup stickers. Since then, every World Cup has been accompanied by this set, which has never failed to inspire children to collect and try to fill their albums.

Over the years, Panini built on the success by issuing albums for the European Championships and the Copa America. It also expanded its soccer holdings elsewhere, printing stickers for the big leagues in Europe and South America.

The US Soccer Sports Card Market

Panini’s approach to soccer has changed since entering the American market with a vengeance in 2010 by securing the rights to NBA and NFL cards. While continuing to issue the traditional stickers, especially for significant events, they have also pivoted to making American-style soccer cards.

The range of cards they have released for this approach has been broad. The FIFA World Cup Prizm and English Premier League Prizm releases are some of the company’s best-known products.

But the range of releases has also ranged to higher-end cards such as the National Treasures Soccer and Obsidian Soccer releases. They have also dabbled in lower-end releases such as Donruss and Score for the sport.

Fanatics Going For The Soccer Jugular

However, Topps has been challenging Panini for a domestic soccer card market slice. They began to do so well before Fanatics purchased them in January 2022. Topps received the rights to the European Champions League in 2017.

They started to issue cards for the premier European soccer tournament that year, debuting the top-rated Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League product. After Fanatics had taken them over, the company also purchased the rights to the European Championship, which UEFA also runs.

Panini had been releasing stickers and cards for that tournament for years. So, this was a severe body blow for the soccer portion of the Italian card company’s empire. It occurred a year after Panini had lost its NBA and NFL rights. Therefore, Panini saw it as an attempt to take away the bedrock of its business model: international soccer competitions.

The sense that Topps’s attempts to wrestle soccer rights from under the nose of Panini were part of an effort to bring the company to its knees was borne out by other developments. Panini filed a lawsuit against its rivals and accused them of violating anti-trust laws on several fronts.

It included allegations that Fanatics had tried to strongarm them into selling by buying the company producing their cards. It also alleged Fanatics had disparaged the company repeatedly in front of industry insiders.

The lawsuit also claimed that Topps had secured the NBA and NFL licenses without allowing Panini to bid. This lawsuit added to a previous one based on the claim that Fanatics had poached key Panini executives to steal their trade secrets.

How do the World Cup Rights fit in the battle royale between Fanatics and Panini

Fanatics has, of course, denied any allegations of wrongdoing. They filed a countersuit, alleging that Panini uses cases frivolously to hinder Fanatics’ business success. Since then, several other actors have sued Panini.

Many cases seem related to this legal battle royale between the two giants. Panini was sued for having racist business practices and by the NFLPA and WWE for breach of contract.

The battle over soccer rights cannot be divorced from this. No doubt, had Fanatics been able to secure the World Cup rights from FIFA, it would have been a devastating blow to the standing of Panini in the hobby. Soccer is at the center of Panini’s image and reputation.

The World Cup and the stickers products accompanying it are, at least symbolically, the jewel in Panini’s crown. And with the World Cup coming to the United States (and Canada and Mexico) in 2026, this would have been a terrible time to lose it.

Therefore, the new deal with FIFA is a rare victory for Panini and will help it remain a competitor (albeit weakened) in the American and global sports card markets.

A final word on FIFA renewing its partnership with Panini

The folks at Panini will be celebrating this deal wholeheartedly, and understandably so. The rights to the World Cup have long been the cornerstone of their global sports card empire. But this does not reverse the trend of erasing their position, especially in the United States.

It shows Panini returning to its pre-2010 standing in the hobby to some extent. The top name in global soccer but a marginal player in the United States.

Nonetheless, FIFA renewing its partnership with Panini has a significant psychological effect on the hobby. It shows that there is life in the old Italian horse and that it can convince important players to bet on it for the future.

It certainly improves the odds of Panini surviving, albeit in a somewhat battered form, to fight another day. And while Panini is undoubtedly a flawed actor, that is a good outcome for everyone. Monopolies are not a healthy economic model. While Fanatics has welcomed changes to the hobby, we don’t want anyone to be the only game in town.

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Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

Shaiel Ben-Ephraim is the emeritus editor of Cardlines. He continues to write for several hobby outlets, including this one and Cardbase. He collects primarily vintage baseball and soccer and has a weird obsession with 1971 Topps.

In his spare time, Shaiel is sobbing into his bourbon when the Mets lose and playing Dungeons and Dragons. In a past life, Dr. Ben-Ephraim was a political science professor, journalist, and diplomat. But cards are more fun.

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