World Cup Performances Boost Soccer Card Sales of Top Superstars
For the first time since FIFA introduced rankings in 1992, the top four teams in the world will all collide in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup tournament, and the expanded international exposure has boosted sales of soccer cards for many of the top superstars who remain in play.
Global heavyweights like Lionel Messi (Argentina), Kylian Mbappe (France), Lamine Yamal (Spain), Harry Kane (England) and others have all seen rising prices and significant sales in the month since the World Cup kicked off.
As fans and collectors prepare for this week’s semifinal matchups (France vs. Spain and England vs. Argentina), we have taken a look back at the top sales for several of the best players still in contention to hoist the championship.
Lionel Messi, Argentina
Already an industry behemoth, Messi has been superb in what is likely the last World Cup of his storied career. The 39-year-old forward co-leads the tournament with eight goals, which has pushed defending champion Argentina to six straight wins. The tournament’s Golden Boot has eluded Messi throughout his career, even as he has scored the most World Cup goals of all time (21 going into the semifinals).
Since the World’s Cup onset, seven of Messi’s cards have sold for more than $100,000, with another 16 landing over $50,000. The biggest among them were a 2018 Panini Prizm World Cup Gold Power (/5) parallel that sold for $219,600 on June 28, and a 2024-25 Donruss Kaboom Gold (/10) that sold for $212,280 on June 13. Both sales came via Goldin auctions.
- Shop for Lionel Messi cards on eBay
Kylian Mbappé, France
Mbappé joins Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, having also tallied eight goals in the World Cup so far, and he’s looking to keep up the pace in an effort to join the select few players ever to win a pair of World Cup titles. He led France to a title in 2018 but took a tough-luck loss to Messi and Argentina in 2022. Those nations are again on a potential collision course, and an industry frenzy could follow if these teams write the next chapter of this rivalry.
Mbappé doesn’t currently have the same hobby appeal as Messi, but his most expensive card of all time did sell during the World Cup. On June 19, Mbappe’s 2018 Panini Kaboom Gold (/10) parallel sold for $180,000 in the Fanatics Premier Auction. It’s his only six-figure sale of the World Cup so far, but four other cards of his reached at least $25,000 in the past month.
- Shop for Kylian Mbappe cards on eBay
Lamine Yamal, Spain
Yamal has not posted eye-popping numbers throughout the World Cup, but that has not swayed collectors because the mere presence of the standout 18-year-old helps Spain’s attack. Yamal has only scored once during the tournament, but he takes to the pitch for the semifinals one day after turning 19, perhaps giving him some extra incentive to celebrate with a brilliant match.
Collectors have been all-in on Yamal throughout the World Cup. He’s registered 10 individual sales over $100,000 since the tournament began, including three cards that reached at least $300,000. The top option, which is also his most expensive card to date, is a 2024 Topps Chrome UEFA Euro Autographs Superfractor (1/1) parallel, which sold via Goldin for $396,500 on June 14. In total, Yamal’s five most expensive cards of all time have all sold during this year’s World Cup.
- Shop for Lamine Yamal cards on eBay
Harry Kane, England
Kane has been a model of consistency for England on the way to the World Cup semifinals. With six goals in six games, Kane has become the country’s all-time leading World Cup goal scorer and he’s helped put the Three Lions in position to claim their first championship since 1966. That’s also translated to renewed interest from collectors in the 32-year-old’s soccer cards.
While he’s not producing the same six-figure sales as some of his rivals, his three most expensive cards of all time have all been recorded during the World Cup. Topping the list is the 2023-24 Donruss Kaboom Black (1/1), which sold for $23,400 during the Fanatics Weekly auction on July 12.
- Shop for Harry Kane’s cards on eBay
Jude Bellingham, England
Bellingham has been right in the thick of things for England throughout the World Cup, scoring six times and often finding himself involved in the play all over the field. The Athletic even suggested there’s a strong argument that Bellingham has been “the most impactful player at the tournament,” despite tension between he and coach Thomas Tuchel having stolen some of the headlines.
Despite his star status, his market is softer than those of his rivals. Bellingham has only four cards that have crossed the $10,000 threshold during the World Cup. Leading the charge is his 2022-23 Topps Inception UEFA Club Competitions Silver Signings Gold (1/1) parallel, which was bid up to $15,000 during the Fanatics Weekly auction that ended on July 5.
- Shop for Jude Bellingham’s cards on eBay
Ousmane Dembélé, France
Even with five goals, Dembélé has played second fiddle to Mbappé in prestige among fans and collectors, but that doesn’t make him any less important to France’s overall success in this year’s World Cup. Dembélé had only two assists in seven games in the 2022 World Cup, but the stark increase in production has given the 29-year-old plenty of new fans.
Dembélé has only notched two soccer card sales of more than $10,000, but neither have come during the 2026 World Cup. Instead, his most expensive sale in the past month was the $5,160 one collector paid for his 2018 Panini Prizm World Cup Gold Prizms (/10) parallel, which sold through the Fanatics Weekly auction that ended on June 12.
- Shop for Ousmane Dembélé’s cards on eBay
