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Behind the Cards

Panini Returns to the EFL: New Era for Lower League Collectibles

On May 29, 2025, the English Football League (EFL) announced a groundbreaking multi-year partnership with Panini, launching in the 2025/26 season.

The deal covers the Championship, League One, and League Two, and will see Panini release its first EFL-branded products in over 20 years. Panini's initial rollout will include both traditional sticker albums and modern trading card sets, featuring players and clubs from across the 72 EFL sides. EFL Chief Commercial Officer Ben Wright states on the official EFL website, "The EFL is part of the fabric of life for hundreds of millions of fans across the world. This new partnership with Panini provides the opportunity and new ways for the League and our clubs to engage with supporters, in particular, younger fans."

For UK-based collectors, it’s both a nostalgic throwback and interesting development—possibly providing shrewd investors with a fresh angle to prospect future Premier League talent.

Product Watch

Popular Products: Global Price Trends and Changes

9 May 2025 - 8 June 2025

Featured on Graph Above (last sale per hobby box):

• Topps UEFA Club Competitions 2024/25 — £81 (-6%)

• Panini Donruss Soccer 2024/25 — £123 (-31%)

• Panini Select LaLiga 2024/25 — £179 (-35%)

• Topps Midnight Bundesliga 2024/25 — £111 (0%)

• Panini Prizm Premier League 2024/25 — £110 (-34%)

• Topps Chrome UEFA Club Competitions 2024/25 — £124 (-33%)

  (figures in brackets indicate last sale change %)

Featured on Graph Above (last sale per hobby box case):

• Topps UEFA Club Competitions 2023/24 — £2,439 (+27%)

• Topps Pristine Road To UEFA EURO 2024 — £1,068 (0%)

• Topps Chrome UEFA Club Competitions 2023/24 — £2,439 (+27%)

• Topps Chrome UEFA Women’s Champions League 2023/24 — £451 (+5%)

• Topps UEFA Club Competitions 2024/25 — £1,520 (+27%)

• Topps Finest MLS 2024 — £755 (-13%)

  (figures in brackets indicate last sale change %)

Industry

Coming Soon—2025 Panini Prizm FIFA Club World Cup!

The first-ever Panini Prizm release dedicated to the FIFA Club World Cup is launching in sync with the tournament’s expanded format in the United States on June 14, 2025.

This inaugural set celebrates the Club World Cup’s jump to 32 teams, offering collectors a 200-card base set that spans the competing clubs from FIFA’s six confederations, with reduced coverage of MLS clubs due to licensing issues. The FIFA Club World Cup’s expanded format is far from universally popular—especially in Europe—where critics argue it’s an unnecessary addition to an already overloaded football calendar, raising concerns about player burnout, scheduling conflicts, and a lack of genuine fan appetite compared to national team tournaments. Despite this, a new Prizm product may still prove popular with collectors thanks to an inevitably strong checklist featuring the usual rainbow of parallels, popular inserts such as Kaboom!, and big auto chasers, including Kylian Mbappé.

Each hobby box averages 1 autograph, 5 numbered Prizms, 8 additional Prizms, 2 silver inserts, and 10 additional inserts, with 12 cards per pack, 12 packs per box, and 12 boxes per case; and is listed as ‘coming soon’ on the Panini America website.

Card Watch

Florian Wirtz: Leverkusen’s Maestro, Market’s Next Move

Liverpool have just tabled a new £113 million bid for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz—£100 million up front plus £13 million in add-ons—still short of Leverkusen’s £126 million asking price, but with Wirtz pushing for an Anfield move, the saga is reaching boiling point.

Wirtz isn’t just the most coveted name in the transfer market—he’s also at the centre of one of the hobby’s most fascinating card journeys. His only cards featuring the coveted RC logo are from the 2020/21 Topps Tier One Bundesliga set; no other cards, even from that rookie season, carry the RC mark. That detail alone makes these cards my top recommendation for collectors who want true rookie status, and my raw-to-grade pick is the Tier One Break Out Auto /125, which last sold raw for £555 in May this year following a PSA 10 sale of £1,776 in March. However the most expensive Wirtz sale on record—the 2020/21 Topps Chrome Bundesliga Auto Orange /25 (SGC 10) at £6,660 in March 2022—looks slightly inflated, as were many sales during that period, with recent high-end comps settling at £6,265 for a 2023/24 Superfractor Auto 1/1 (PSA 10) on May 29, 2025.

With Liverpool’s £113 million bid on the table and Wirtz’s preference for Anfield clear, the market is watching every move.

Below, I’ve used Card Ladder data to showcase a range of options that highlight the potential value available to collectors across all budgets.

PS: If you decide to sign up for Card Ladder using my affiliate link, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps me continue to provide valuable content through ND Soccer Capital. Thank you!

All data courtesy of Card Ladder—Why not discover how Card Ladder can enhance your card collecting experience?

You’ve Pulled!

A celebration of recent big card pulls!

Congratulations to @riisemo for hitting this awesome card!

If anyone pulls anything big please feel free to hit me up on Instagram! @ndsoccercapital

As I conclude this issue of ND Soccer Capital, I hope you found the insights into Heung-min Son’s market value informative and engaging. Stay tuned for future updates on emerging trends and the most valuable cards to watch in the dynamic world of football collecting.

• Explore More: Dive deeper into the world of football cards in my upcoming issues — Who Am I?

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Disclaimer: ND Soccer Capital provides information and opinions about sports card investing for educational purposes only. We are not financial advisors, and our content should not be considered investment advice. Investing in sports cards carries substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for everyone. The value of cards can fluctuate significantly based on various factors, including player performance, market trends, and condition. Any investment decisions you make are solely your responsibility. ND Soccer Capital, its owners, employees, and affiliates shall not be held liable for any losses, damages, or legal issues arising from your investment choices. Always conduct your own research and consider seeking advice from a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.