Cards
Fanatics, Topps to take over FIFA soccer card deal from Panini
After cornering the market on the trading card licenses for the three major professional sports leagues in the United States (MLB, NBA, NFL), Fanatics has taken another giant step by securing the rights to FIFA and international soccer.
The landmark deal, which begins in 2031, gives Fanatics the exclusive, long-term collectibles license for FIFA. The deal includes trading cards, stickers and trading card games and covers both physical and digital collectibles.
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Rival trading card company Panini had held the FIFA soccer license since 1970. Fanatics has now taken over the NBA, NFL and FIFA trading card rights from Panini, which has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the company.
Fanatics’ new soccer deal will bring Topps’ popular player jersey patch program to FIFA, including debut patches that which will be inserted into soccer cards beginning in 2031. All products will be designed and developed through Fanatics Collectibles and produced under the Topps brand.
Since joining Fanatics in 2022, Topps has launched the popular Rookie Debut Patch and other MVP patch programs for MLB, NBA, NFL, WWE, F1, and MLS. Other patch programs include the MLB Gold Logoman and the NFL Honors Gold Shield. Topps has also introduced new relics and game-used memorabilia pieces as well.
Fanatics will also support youth soccer worldwide by distributing more than $150 million in free collectibles during the partnership.
“Across the sports landscape, we see that Fanatics are driving massive innovation in collectibles that provides fans with a new, meaningful way to engage with their favorite teams and with their favorite players,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. “So, from FIFA’s point of view, we can globalize that fan engagement precisely thanks to our global tournament portfolio. And this provides another important commercial revenue stream that we channel back, as always, into the game, into football.”
“This is truly a historic day in our company’s history,” Fanatics founder and CEO Michael Rubin said. “Global football is the biggest growth opportunity in sports, and when you combine the power of FIFA with the innovation and entrepreneurial backbone of Fanatics, together we’re poised to elevate storytelling and collectibles around the game in a way that’s never been seen before.”
“We’re incredibly excited to partner with FIFA to deliver truly innovative products that bring fans and collectors closer to their favorite players in the biggest competitions,” Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan added. “Through our cutting-edge offerings we look forward to helping grow both the hobby and the global game as a whole.”
Fanatics will get a jump on the long-term deal by hosting the pre-match press conferences for the FIFA World Cup Final at Fanatics Fest on July 17, two days before the World Cup Final.
Fanatics Fest also will host a massive watch party for the Final on July 19, with the match shown on all screens at the Javits Center in Manhattan.
The new deal expands on Fanatics’ merchandise deal with FIFA as the official on-site retail and merchandising provider for the 2026 World Cup 2026, including in-stadium retail operations and FIFA Fan Festival experiences.
