The 2026 World Cup stickers are generating unprecedented success, becoming highly sought-after items for collectors. The high demand has surprised even the publishers, who have had to increase the production of albums and sticker packs to satisfy buyers.
Sources from Panini, the publishing company, admit that initial expectations have been doubled. "We've fallen short; we're doubling our initial expectations," explains the editorial director for football collections at the company. At points of sale, the situation is similar, with kiosks quickly running out of stock. "I've never seen anything like it; people buy 20 or 30 sticker packs a day, and sometimes we run out," says a kiosk owner from Quiosc Maragall.
The Mercat de Sant Antoni has become a key hub for collectors looking to complete their sticker collections more affordably. Every Sunday, hundreds of people gather to trade duplicate stickers for those they are missing, a practice that significantly reduces the overall cost. Completing the collection by only buying sticker packs can cost around 1,500 euros, whereas with trading, the price can be lowered to about 400 euros.
