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Vinícius Júnior: Brazil’s Ace and Collector’s Prize

Vinícius Júnior: Brazil’s Ace and Collector’s Prize

Your football card insider—tracking trends, products, and market moves to elevate your collecting game

Neil Doherty
April 20, 2025

Welcome to ND Soccer Capital!

Behind the Cards

A New Era For UK Collectors

Recent announcement on Topps UK website (Credit: Fanatics)

A prominent banner has appeared on the Topps UK website announcing the highly anticipated grand opening weekend of the Fanatics Collectables London Store from April 25th to 27th, signaling an exciting new chapter for UK collectors.

As featured in the first edition of ND Soccer Capital, the global leader in sports collectibles has chosen the UK over the USA for its flagship sports cards store—a move that will revolutionise the hobby this side of the Atlantic. Fanatics Collectibles has acquired an enormous 8,647-square-foot unit on Regent Street, London, at the epicenter of UK high street commerce, and we now know the grand opening will take place from April 25th to 27th, 2025. The store will feature a state-of-the-art breaking studio and host regular events, including hobby nights, trade nights, rip nights, product launches, and athlete appearances. To mark the occasion, visitors during the first week (April 25 – May 1) will receive exclusive limited-edition Regency Series trading cards with qualifying purchases, featuring stars such as Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappé.

With fewer than five Topps-partnered hobby shops currently in the UK, Fanatics’ flagship store aims to ignite and grow the trading card market across Europe.

With this groundbreaking move, Fanatics are set to transform the sports card experience and establish a new era of collecting culture across the UK and beyond.

Product Watch

Industry

Total number of transactions tracked in Card Ladder Sales History each month (19.04.23 - 18.04.25): Graph Courtesy of Card Ladder

2024/25 Manchester United Team Set!

2024/25 Manchester United Team Set (Credit: Topps)

The 2024/25 Topps Manchester United Team Set was released on April 17, 2025, marking Topps’ first-ever dedicated Manchester United Team Set.

Following on from the recent 2024/25 Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain Team Sets, this week Topps released the 2024/25 Manchester United Team Set, celebrating the club’s past, present, and future. Unsurprisingly the product’s base set features the current squad, and the four base rookie inclusions are Harry Amass, Toby Collyer, Ethan Wheatley, and Chido Obi-Martin. Themed subsets include Consequential Cards (memorable goals), Theatre of Dreams (historic greats), and Bona Fide Baller (talented fan favourites). Inserts are listed as Pathway, Rainbow Flick, and Born & Bred, which pays tribute to Manchester United’s storied list of academy graduates. Big chasers include the Devils In Glory autograph relics, with big-name signers such as Paul Scholes, Dwight Yorke, Roy Keane, and Bruno Fernandes.

Each hobby box contains 6 packs of 5 cards, including 1 autograph, relic, or autograph relic, plus 1 sequentially numbered parallel and 1 static foil parallel per box.

The hobby box was originally priced at £55 on the Topps UK website, but has since sold out, and is now only available on the secondary market.

Card Watch

Vinícius Júnior: Brazil’s Ace and Collector’s Prize

Following on from last week’s Card Watch spotlight on Neymar, it’s only natural to turn the focus to his heir apparent for the Brazilian national team: Vinícius Júnior.

As Neymar’s era draws to a close, Vini Jr. has emerged as the face of a new generation, carrying the hopes of Brazil and Real Madrid on his shoulders with pace, skill, and a flair for the big occasion. Vini Jr.’s card market reflects his meteoric rise, with his 2018/19 Panini Donruss Rated Rookie #177 widely recognised as his flagship rookie card, offering accessible entry points for new collectors and low-numbered parallels for high-end investors. Vini Jr. has now more than justified his Rated Rookie inclusion, becoming one of the world’s elite, scoring in both the 2022 and 2024 UEFA Champions League Finals, and cementing demand for rare case hits such as his 2024 Panini Prizm Copa America Manga and 2023/24 Panini Donruss Soccer Kaboom!.

If Vinícius Júnior can lead Brazil to international glory where Neymar fell short, the young pretender may well overtake the master and cement his own legendary status.

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!

Budget friendly? The 2018/19 Panini Donruss Soccer Rated Rookie Optic Holo #177 raw last sold on Feb 22, 2025 for £14.82 (Card Ladder Value £12.38).

Investment opportunity? For collectors seeking raw-to-grade opportunities, the current Card Ladder value of the same card graded at PSA 10 is £194 (last sold Dec 17, 2024 for £243).

Investment opportunity? The 2024 Panini Prizm Copa America Manga #5 case hit (PSA 10) last sold for £205, and has been steadily increasing in value since its first sale for £137 on Nov 19, 2024.

Possible store of value? The 2023/24 Panini Donruss Soccer Kaboom! #10 steadily maintains its price around the current Card Ladder value of £330.

For Your Interest! The Black 1/1 of the same card has sold once, for £3,570 on Dec 8, 2014. The Card Ladder value is currently £4,155.

For your interest! The 2018/19 Panini Donruss Soccer Rated Rookie Optic Gold /10 #177 (PSA 10) sold for £6,840 on Jul 27, 2023 — the highest ever sale of a Vini Jr card.

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!

2023/24 Topps Premium: Black & White Edition Paris Saint-Germain Messi Auto /5 (Courtesy of Q’s Cards)

2016/17 Panini Select Soccer Field Level Tie-Dye Lionel Messi /30 #286 (Courtesy Mark a.k.a. 1984dida2023)

Congratulations to @qscards & @1984dida2023 for hitting these awesome cards!

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 Vini Jr.’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.