Mexico 1970: Where World Cup Sticker Collecting Began

For millions of football fans, collecting World Cup stickers feels like part of the game itself. But this beloved tradition only exists because of a bold bet placed in Mexico 56 years ago.

In 1970, when Mexico hosted the World Cup, the Panini family made their first international sticker album. Brothers Giuseppe and Benito Panini had been selling football cards in Italy since the early 1960s, starting with poorly printed leftovers they bundled into cheap packets for local kids.

The brothers built their small business from their mother's newspaper kiosk in Modena, a city of 184,000 known more for Ferrari and balsamic vinegar than sports collectibles. Giuseppe's first attempt at trading cards featured local flowers and plants, which flopped spectacularly.

But when he switched to Italian soccer players, everything changed. Kids who couldn't afford many toys saved their coins for these packets, swapping duplicates in schoolyards and hunting for their favorite players.

By 1970, Panini was ready to go global. Partnering with FIFA, they created their first World Cup album featuring 270 players across 48 pages.

It was risky. The 1966 World Cup had been dull and bad-tempered, and there was no guarantee Mexico would capture anyone's imagination. Plus, the stickers weren't even sold in Mexico itself, only in a handful of European countries like West Germany, France, Spain, and the UK.

The timing turned out to be perfect. Mexico 1970 became the first World Cup widely broadcast in color television, bringing vibrant matches into homes worldwide. Peru and Brazil dazzled from the opening games, and even defensive Italy scored four goals against Germany in the semifinals.

The album featured 14 Mexican players, including legends like Ignacio Calderón, Gustavo Peña, and Enrique Borja. Many photos were taken at training grounds, with some players seemingly absent from the shoot.

The Ripple Effect

That first international album launched a billion-dollar business that now connects fans across continents. Today, collectors include everyone from Italy's veteran goalkeeper Buffon to musician Ed Sheeran.

Players take their cards seriously too. Several have complained about unflattering photos, and one team even wrote to Panini calling a teammate's picture "notably ugly" and asking for a replacement.

Work on each World Cup album starts the day after the previous tournament ends. Because printing begins months before official squads are announced, surprise call-ups sometimes miss the collection entirely.

What started as cheap entertainment for Italian schoolchildren has become a World Cup tradition as essential as the opening ceremony. Mexico didn't just host an unforgettable tournament in 1970; it gave the world a new way to celebrate the beautiful game together.