BACKPANINI AMERICA AND FLORIAN WIRTZ TEAM UP FOR EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP
Irving, TX – October 20, 2026 – Panini America, a subsidiary of the Panini Group, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company, announced today an exclusive, multi-year agreement with Germany and Liverpool FC midfielder Florian Wirtz for trading cards and memorabilia.
Wirtz joins global soccer stars Kylian Mbappe and Christian Pulisic as a Panini Authentic athlete, and initial items of Wirtz’ memorabilia will be available on the Panini America website beginning today. He will also be featured across Panini’s line of soccer trading card collections and utilized in select marketing initiatives.
“Florian Wirtz is one of the most exciting young players in the world, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our outstanding team of Panini athletes,” said Jason Howarth, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations at Panini America. “We look forward to creating exciting products and experiences for Florian’s many fans around the world.”
The 23-year-old Wirtz is in his second season with Liverpool FC, after six seasons with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany’s Bundesliga. Wirtz was named the Bundesliga Player of the Season in 2023-24, leading Bayer Leverkusen to a league title and the German Cup. He was German Footballer of the Year in 2025 and made his FIFA World Cup debut for Germany earlier this year.
“I grew up collecting Panini stickers, so being part of the Panini family now is something really special for me,” said Wirtz. “I’m excited to create unique products together and to give fans around the world new ways to connect with me and the game.”
Panini is FIFA’s exclusive partner for official stickers, trading cards, trading-card games and digital collectibles. The brand has a storied history in soccer, beginning with Italy’s Serie A at the company’s founding in 1961, being a partner of the FIFA World Cup since 1970, and additional soccer licenses that include U.S. Soccer, USMNT, USWNTPA, La Liga, NWSL, NWSLPA, The English Football League, and the Barclays Women’s Super League.
About Panini America
Panini America is a subsidiary of The Panini Group, established over 60 years ago in Modena, Italy with subsidiaries throughout Europe, Latin America and the United States. Panini is the world leader in officially licensed collectibles and is the most significant publisher of collectibles in the U.S., with official licenses for WNBA, WNBAPA, NASCAR, FIFA, the NWSL and NWSLPA, Unrivaled, LIV Golf, the Professional Fighters League, College, Disney, and other key properties from many other licensors. Panini is also the exclusive trading card and sticker partner of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Elite 11 and Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc.
Panini has distribution channels in more than 150 countries and employs a staff of over 1,200. For more information visit us at www.paniniamerica.net, www.paninigroup.com or
http://blog.paniniamerica.net/. You can also follow Panini America on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
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