Soccer fans across the United States are collecting Panini World Cup stickers to fill albums ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The trend marks a significant cultural shift as a tradition long rooted in Europe and Latin America gains traction in the U.S. market. For many, the hobby serves as a social bridge and a nostalgic way to engage with the tournament's excitement.
Collectors aim to complete albums containing approximately 1,000 stickers [1]. To achieve this, fans purchase blind packs that contain seven stickers each [2]. Because the packs are randomized, collectors often gather in public spaces to trade duplicates and find the rare pieces needed to finish their sets.
These gathering spots have emerged in several major hubs. In New York City, fans have met at Rockefeller Center to swap stickers, while others have organized in Dallas and various locations across New Jersey [3, 4, 5]. In Dallas, teacher Stephany Rogel is among those participating in the pursuit [1, 4].
Panini has been selling World Cup stickers since 1970 [6]. The company has expanded the scope of the hobby for the current cycle, releasing what is the largest edition to date [7]. This increase in scale reflects the growing global footprint of the sport and the expanding size of the tournament itself.
For many participants, the appeal lies in the hunt for elusive players. The social nature of the trade — meeting strangers in parks or plazas to negotiate the value of a specific sticker — transforms a solitary hobby into a community event. This interactive element has helped the tradition spread quickly across the U.S. as the tournament start date looms [3].
“Panini has been selling World Cup stickers since 1970.”
The surge in sticker collecting indicates a deepening of soccer culture in the U.S. beyond just watching matches. By adopting a social, collectible tradition common in other football-heavy nations, American fans are integrating into the global community's rituals, signaling a broader cultural readiness for the 2026 tournament.
