Panini (foto: Twitter)
FIFA has confirmed the end of its legendary partnership with Panini, bringing one of football’s most iconic traditions to a close.
FIFA has officially confirmed the end of one of the most iconic partnerships in football history.
After decades of collaboration, the governing body will part ways with Panini, the company whose sticker albums became a central part of football culture across generations.
Beginning in 2031, official World Cup stickers, trading cards and collectibles will instead be produced by Topps, the brand owned by American sports giant Fanatics.
The move closes a historic chapter that began in 1970, when Panini first produced official World Cup albums.
Since then, millions of football fans around the world have grown up collecting stickers linked to the biggest tournament in sport.
Panini will still produce albums for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups, after which Topps will fully take over the FIFA license.
Fanatics has rapidly expanded its influence across the sports collectibles industry in recent years.
Through Topps, the company has already secured major football licenses connected to the European Championship, the Nations League and several other elite competitions.
The financial scale behind the sticker business is enormous.
According to The Athletic, Panini generated approximately $720 million in revenue from products tied to the 2022 World Cup alone.
For the 2026 and 2030 tournaments, projections reportedly exceeded $1.4 billion.
Losing the FIFA partnership therefore represents a major commercial and symbolic setback for the Italian company.
The rivalry between Panini and Fanatics has also intensified legally.
Panini accuses the American company of monopolistic behavior and aggressive attempts to dominate the collectibles market, while Fanatics claims the Italians have engaged in unfair business practices.
Reports from Italy suggest Panini is already exploring strategic partnerships and has even considered a partial sale of the company or a future stock market listing.
The company’s estimated value currently stands at around $5.8 billion.