Rip New Memories with Panini’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ Official Sticker Collection

Written by Julio Vega

What are some of the best memories from your childhood? Maybe it’s watching your favorite TV show after school or going to a best friend’s birthday party. If you’re into music, perhaps it was attending a concert that shaped how you feel about an artist or genre. 

If you’re a sports fan, perhaps it was going to a stadium for the very first time or getting a piece of merchandise, like a hat that you wore until the colors faded or a jersey with your favorite player’s name on the back that you put on for every game, or even just to play in the backyard.

For soccer fans across the globe, one specific action repeated by millions over the last several decades has brought a unique sense of joy: Opening a sticker pack for the Official Panini FIFA World Cup™ album.

There’s something distinctly satisfying about carefully ripping open a pack — trying your hardest not to accidentally tear the stickers inside — and flipping through to see what faces you might pull out. 

Whether it was learning about a random player from a national team you barely knew anything about or spotting the face of the sport’s biggest superstar — think France’s Kylian Mbappe, Norway’s Erling Haaland or Spain’s Lamine Yamal as modern examples — every sticker was vital in the hunt for the ultimate goal of completing the album.

As the writer of this blog, I say this from the heart: That childlike excitement when you open those paper packs and see the mystery collection of players on stickers is worth relishing. 

Collectors know that filling up the book is not always easy. It took me more than three years to complete the 2022 edition. There are sure to be fans out there who have taken even longer to fill their albums, especially ones from tournaments past.

Back in the day, you’d have to go to the local corner store, the supermarket or even a newsstand to buy a few packs at a time and build up your collection slowly. Nowadays, the internet has revolutionized how you can complete your album, from how many packs you purchase at a time to the multiple online platforms you can access to trade with others.

The sticker album is about the future (planning to see how you’ll fill it up) just as much as it is about nostalgia (looking back when you’re older and seeing a player or a page that paves memory lane). As I write this blog with the FIFA World Cup 2026™ just around the corner, I feel that growing excitement for the tournament. When the sticker album hits store shelves and online storefronts, the anticipation only builds. 

And with the 2026 global showcase featuring 48 teams, this book is set to be the biggest one yet. Be on the lookout for big-name stars like Argentina’s Lionel Messi, England’s Harry Kane and the United States’ Christian Pulisic.

Let the hunt for stickers and new memories begin.