Panini America's 2016-17 line of soccer trading cards promises to look quite a bit different than last year's roster, beginning with the promising debut of the Aficionado brand on the pitch. We'll have additional details on other product line changes in the coming weeks, but today we're focusing our attention of 2016-17 Aficionado Soccer, set to arrive in hobby shops across North America in late March.
Panini America’s 2016-17 line of soccer trading cards promises to look quite a bit different than last year’s roster, beginning with the promising debut of the Aficionado brand on the pitch. We’ll have additional details on other product line changes in the coming weeks, but today we’re focusing our attention of 2016-17 Aficionado Soccer, set to arrive in hobby shops across North America in late March.
The product showcases soccer’s best and brightest stars with their club teams as well as with their national teams. The game’s top players will be featured in a variety of special inserts, including Magic Numbers, Power Surge, Craftwork and Meteor. Legends of the past will be honored in an insert fittingly dubbed “Heroes.”
On average, each hobby box of 2016-17 Aficionado Soccer (eight cards per pack, 10 packs per box, 12 boxes per case) will deliver one autograph card, one memorabilia card, five inserts and 10 parallels. The highlights of the release are many and include . . .
- Find autographs of your favorite current and retired footballers in Endorsements, International Ink and First Impressions. Featured players include Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Dele Alli, Renato Sanches, Pele, Diego Maradona and more.
- Aficionado also offers memorabilia cards in Authentics and Dual Authentics. Collect memorabilia cards of soccer stars such as Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema and Alvaro Morata.
- Chase the rare Forza! insert (which showcases goal celebration photography and falls one-per-case, on average) and the ultra-rare First Kick parallel set.
- The Aficionado base set features a unique design that includes both a close-up photo and an action shot of each player.
- Global Reach highlight players who dominate the international game such as Lionel Messi, Manuel Neuer, James Rodriguez and Alexis Sanchez. Look for Global Reach Artist’s Proof parallels numbered from 99 to one.
- Collect First Kick and Artist’s Proof parallels to the base set. The Artist’s Proof Red, Bronze and Gold parallels are sequentially numbered to 99, 49 and only one, respectively. First Kick parallels are tough pull falling at a rate of one per case, on average.
- All autographs in the program will be numbered to 149 or less.
- Power Surge highlights footballers who play with intensity and power such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba and Sergio Aguero, among others. Watch for Artist’s Proof parallel editions, including some numbered to 99 (Red), 49 (Bronze) and 1 (Gold).
- Collect 10 of the most lethal offensive players in the game today in the special Forza! insert. This rare chase falls one-per-case, on average.
We’ll have plenty more on 2016-17 Aficionado Soccer in the coming weeks right here on The Knight’s Lance. But until then, enjoy this extended sneak peek:
All information is accurate at the time of posting – content is subject to change and approval. Card images are solely for the purpose of design display. Actual images used on cards to be determined.
Will this product be in a “retail” version?