DECEMBER 18, 2020 - Didier Drogba

For the ones that have followed us from the beginning, you all know where we stand with the man that stopped a civil war in the Ivory Coast.
Didier Drogba is known as one of the most clutch strikers to play the game with 10 goals in 10 FINALS.

Here is a timeline of some of his most iconic cards and stickers. Nothing beats Drogba’s rookie sticker in 2002. The pop count for his stickers sit at 32 graded stickers in the PSA registry.

The 2003 Onze magazine issue is also a really unique piece to pick up if you are looking for something out there. 2004 is where you can find some of Drogba’s first cards with Chelsea like the Magic Box and Panini WCCF. Also Drogba’s first World Cup sticker and Card is in 2006!

Some high end cards that are popular are the 2015 Flawless and the 2017 Panini Kaboom cards.

DECEMBER 10, 2020 - Johan Cruyff

One of the most influential football players to ever grace the game to what we know now is the 3x Ballon d’or winner Johan Cruyff. Famously known to be part of the Total Football philosophy, and he also has the Cruyff turn that is named after him. He is arguably one of the MOST undervalued legend in the soccer card hobby.

Here is the timeline of his most notable cards and stickers. The 1968 no.21 and no.301 are recognized by collectors as his rookie stickers. The Monty Gum is a frequent card that you will see on ebay which is very popular among collectors. Cruyff’s 1st World Cup sticker is the 1974 Panini no. 246. Another popular sticker is the stickers from his Barcelona days for example the Keisa Editions no.2 sticker.

The 1966 Vita Nova postcard is also another set that collectors love if you count postcards as a set.

Special thanks to @goldenballrookies for helping us out on this timeline. When it comes to rookies, he is one of the best in the hobby.

DECEMBER 3, 2020 - Carlos Valderrama

*isnt there an eariler sticker*

We have another Timeline set up you guys, this time around we’re talking about Colombia Legend: Carlos Valderrama.

His earliest stuff is tricky since before making his move to France he started out his career playing in a few Clubs in Colombia. The earliest sticker we found of his belongs in a 1986 Futbol Colombia album, in his Deportivo Cali kit. Before that, Valderrama played for Millonarios and is worth mentioning that there seems to be a sticker out there in the Millonarios kit but it is very rare to find.

Now the earliest sticker that you will be able find will be in his Montpellier kit, there’s a 1988-1989 version (shown #2) and also a 1990-91.

His major one after that to have in mind will be his 1990 World Cup sticker.

It’s also worth mentioning that he has autographed cards in the 2014 and 2018 World Cup prizms.

DECEMBER 3, 2020 - Giovanni Reyna

*update with stickers*

One of the most promising prospects coming up for Dortmund and the USA; Giovanni Reyna. He’s been a very notable player for Borussia Dortmund, and he recently scored his first US national team goal in a friendly match against panama.

Here are Reyna’s earliest Cards. We have his 2019 Topps Now #15 which is his earliest card, followed by the 2019 Topps Now Champions League and the 2019-20 BVB Curated set.

When breaking the cards down, his Topps Chrome will be the key card for his rookie year. If you are looking for a really unique card, check out the DAKA set from China !

Also Reyna’s Topps Museum is his first RPA as well. Thanks to @djcusethehobby for pointing that out!

NOVEMBER 28, 2020 - Diego Maradona

This timeline is dedicated to the legendary Diego Maradona.

For his earliest card, most collectors will point to Maradona’s Futbol Disc from 1977. His Crack Campeonato are some of his most famous stickers from 1978. Also the Industria and Campeon Libro cards are also in the mix for his 1978 and 1979 years.

His 1979 Panini Calciatori is an iconic sticker along with his 1984 sticker that features him in his Napoli Kit.

His first World Cup sticker is the 1982 Panini Espana no. 176.

Maradona has a variety of cards and stickers that we also did not mention.

NOVEMBER 19, 2020 - Wayne Rooney

We are back with another requested legend in our generation, Wayne Rooney! Whoever grew up in the FIFA generation, we are all familiar with the name. He is beloved by tons of collectors and fans around the world. Certainly a Man United legend!

His earliest rookie stickers comes from t he Merlin set where it was formally bought by Topps a few years ago. His key rookie stickers are the Merlin no. 226 and 296. His rookie card is his Topps Premier Gold E3, and to be honest one of our favorite cards from him.

To round it out, Rooney’s first World Cup is 2006, and his sticker that we would recommend is the Topps England no 112. Also another set that collectors chase is the 2015 Topps premier auto.

Thank you so much @goldenballrookies for helping us out. Guys, you have to follow him! He really knows his rookies!

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 - Samuel Eto’o

Regarded as one of the greatest African soccer player of all time, Samuel Eto’o is a player that collectors love to collect. Eto’o is one of the most potent strikers to ever play the game, and he was part of the Barcelona dynasty that won multiple trophies.

His rookie card is the Mundicromo no. 484, and the highest graded in the PSA registry is a 9 with a total pop count of 13!!

His first World Cup sticker and card released in 2002 in the Japan/South Korea World Cup. His 2004 Megacracks is the first year he arrived in Barcelona. One of the most eye appealing cards of him has to be the 2010 Panini World Cup card. It absolutely stunning to the eye.

NOVEMBER 5, 2020 - Kaka

One of the most beloved and talented soccer player to ever grace the game is KAKA! Before Luka Modric broke the Messi and Ronaldo Ballon d’or streak in 2018, Kaka was the last player to ever win it.

Looking for Kaka stickers and cards was actually very tough and an adventure. Kaka’s rookie sticker is the 2002 Panini Campeonato no. 26. It is one of the hardest stickers to find in general. That goes for most Brazilian legends.

Kaka’s 2nd year stickers consists of his Sao Paulo stickers and Ac Milan sticker as well. Kaka’s first National tournament was in 2002 at the World Cup, but the earliest sticker that we can find of him is the Copa America Navarrete sticker.

One of Kaka’s earliest cards is the Panini Calcio no.96 which sorry guys, this is the best photo we can find. We believe it was a Japanese release.

To round it up, the 2006 World Cup is where you can find his sticker and card.

Thank you again @goldenballrookies for helping us identify some of Kaka’s earlier stuff. If y’all aint following him, you guys are missing out!!!

OCTOBER 29, 2020 - Steven Gerrard

What's Thursday without a little bit of throwback to some of the greats that have played. Today, we have a timeline of one of the great England and Liverpool midfielders, Steven Gerrard!!!

Stevie G, first rookie sticker was his 1998-1999 Merlin's Premier League Transfer Update Sticker No. U42. Then you have his second-year sticker 1999-2000 Merlin's Premier League No. 252. A brand you probably don't see every day has one of Gerrard's first cards, 2000 Futera Liverpool Album #122. Futera is a licensed partner with Liverpool and a couple more teams in the EPL. In the 2000-2001 season, Gerrard won the PFA young player of the year award, which Topps produced an insert for this achievement in the 2001-2002 Premier Gold No. L1.

His first major tournament appearance was actually in the 2000 Euro's, but there doesn't seem to be any sticker or card of his during this tournament. His first world cup was the 2004 World Cup, which is represented by his Merlin's sticker No. 79. Love the metallic finish on those Merlin stickers. Futera making another appearance in the post with one of Gerrard's first World Cup cards. Gerrard does have Panini products but keep in mind that they did not hold England license rights in the 2006 and 2014 World Cup. It actually looks like he’s playing on a Sunday league team with a white Bib.

OCTOBER 22, 2020 - Andres Iniesta

To go along with our Barcelona theme… Here is a timeline dedicated to one of the best midfielders to ever play the game, Andres Iniesta!!

His most popular card to investors is undoubtedly the 2002 Mundicromo. His other 2002 stickers from Panini Super Liga are interesting to look into since their prices are much lower, and the pop count is almost non existent.

Iniesta’s first World Cup was 2006, but unfortunately his earliest stickers and cards are from his 2010 tournament which he helped Spain win.

If you are someone that enjoys the new Prizm technology, his 2014 Prizm is a cheap buy as well.

Special thanks to our dear friend @goldenballrookies for taking a look at this beforehand. If you all are not following him, and his collection.. then what are you doing?!

OCTOBER 15, 2020 - Thierry Henry

We mention this player before in our previous post, but we never did a timeline for his stickers or cards for everyone. So today, we have the great Thierry Henry. One of the first players to reach the 20 goals and 20 assists club in a single season, until Messi did it last season. Henry was also on the 2003-2004 Arsenal team that went undefeated in the EPL, which a documentary is in the works with Arsène Wenger narrating it. Henry won numerous trophies throughout his career on the international and domestic levels.

Let's go over this timeline we have today, No. 1 is Henry's earliest rookie sticker we can find from the 1996-97 Panini Foot No. 195. These stickers are hard to find let alone any graded expect for the BGS 9.5 for about 25k on eBay right now.

No. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are from 1997, which is his second-year cards and stickers. No. 5 on the timeline recently sold for 3k for a PSA 9! No. 6 is his first World Cup Sticker, which France won

Henry has a ton of unique cards and stickers throughout his career. Some of them we couldn’t fit in the timeline is his extremely RARE 1996 Onze Mondial card from a French magazine. Thank you @goldenballrookies for letting us know about it. 2000 Merlin Euro Sticker No. 188, which France won.

OCTOBER 8, 2020 - Ronaldo

This legend, in our opinion is one of the most underpriced in the soccer card hobby. Ladies and Gents.. Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima! He is one of the best strikers to ever play the game, and he is beloved by everyone in the world.

His earliest sticker that we can find is the 1994 El Mundi Deportivo Las Estrellas Del Mundi no. 88 sticker. Ronaldo’s first big tournament sticker is the 1995 Mundi Cromo Copa America no 59. Those two stickers are some of the hardest to find in great condition.

His Voetbal no. 78 sticker is often one of the most common stickers of Ronaldo that you can find. We personally love the Voetbal no.91 due to the sheer beauty of the sticker. The 1995 Supercalcio no. 196 sticker is also another sought out sticker of Ronaldo as well.

To round it up, Panini 1998 World Cup Sticker no.28 is Ronaldo’s first World Cup sticker. If you want to buy the card where he won the World Cup, you can look at his 2002 Panini no.37.

Ronaldo has a ton of unique cards and stickers throughout his career. One of them that we couldn’t fit in the timeline is the 1996 Croky Topshot no 10.

OCTOBER 7, 2020 - Jadon Sancho

*the U17 india sticker?*

Today, we are going over the player that was suppose to go to Manchester United… Jadon Sancho!!!

Jadon Sancho’s cards are actually simpler to find due to most of his cards releasing in the same year.

1. 2017 WCCF Jadon Sancho A15
2. 2018 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie no.189
3. 2018 Topps Chrome Jadon Sancho no. 86

Jadon Sancho has a lot of other notable cards such as the Immaculate from Panini. He is one of the few young prospects to have a high end card as well. He also has an earlier card with DAKA which is the Chinese release in 2017.

One interesting thing about Jadon Sancho is that he doesn’t have many early stickers or even at all!

OCTOBER 1, 2020 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic

*isnt there a fifa card?*

Time for another living legend spotlight! Today we are going over the one and only Zlatan Ibrahimovic!!

One of the most interesting personalities off the football pitch and one of the most clinical finishers to ever play the game, it was just fitting to go over is timeline. The most challenging part when looking through Zlatan’s cards/sticker is that he has changed so many teams in his career.

His no. 253 rookie sticker from 2000 is known to be his most valuable sticker. Moving along to his first World Cup sticker is from 2002 which also are extremely hard to find in the marketplace in good condition. One of his first cards to be ever produced is the 2003 Stadion Czech card. There is also his Ajax stuff from 2003 as well. Zlatan also has a ton of different WCCF cards from his Juventus days.

Zlatan’s 2006 cards and stickers are a work of beauty. We included the unique insert from the Panini candy mini sticker set because we see it having long term value.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 - Ansu Fati

The young Spaniard couldn’t even get a man of the week due to his age is proving to be the truth with 2 goals in a span of 19 minutes!!

We have been getting a ton of requests to go over Ansu Fati’s cards and stickers, and we didn’t want to let y’all down!

One good thing about Ansu Fati’s stickers and cards are that most of his rookie stuff released in his rookie year. In our opinion, the more iconic sets like Megacracks will hold itself as one of the cards to get since they have all been released in the same year.

1. Topps Now (very limited print run 335)
2. Panini Megacracks 72BIS
3. Panini Este 13BIS
4. Panini Contenders RT4
5. Panini Pitch Kings R41
6. Panini Obsidian 118

Some other cards that didn’t make the list are the Gold Standard and Adrenalyn.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 - Ronaldinho

Today is Thursday, you know what time it is!!! We dive into a legend that needs no introduction, Ronaldinho!!!

We are trying something different where we go through the timeline of his notable cards and stickers.

The 1999 Gremio sticker is his most sought out rookie sticker, and it is extremely hard to find in good condition.

Ronaldinho’s first card was a collaboration with Pepsi! This card is extremely hard to find as well, and to be honest with y’all, we have never seen it pop into the marketplace.

Ronaldinho’s 1st PSG card is from 2001, and his 1st World Cup sticker which can only be found in the Panini sticker Brazil edition is in 2002.

Another set of cards that can be interesting to look into are his Barcelona cards (Megacracks and Mundicromo). His 2006 Panini World Cup card is actually his 1st World Cup card release.

Lastly his first high end card is the Eminence
set. It includes an on card auto from Ronaldinho as well!

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 - Raheem Sterling

With EPL well underway, Manchester City started off the season beating Wolves 3-1 this past Tuesday.

Raheem Sterling had an assist that game, and today we will be going over some of his earliest stickers and cards.

1. 2011-12 Panini Adrenalyn XL Card
2. 2012-13 Topps Premier League Stickers No. 91
3. 2014 Topps EPL Gold No. 64
4. 2015 Panini Select No. 32
5. 2016 Panini UEFA Euro Prizm No. 64
6. 2018 Panini World Cup Prizm No. 73

The 2011-12 Panini Adrenalyn XL cards have three different variations! The gold variation is a “special” insert, and it’s pretty hard to find!

SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 - Kai Havertz

*ADD MATACH ATTAX*

With EPL starting back up and more attention has grown onto @kaihavertz29 since his big-money move to Chelsea. Today, we're going over some of his earliest stickers and cards.

1. 2017-18 Topps Bundesliga Sticker No. 180
2. 2018-19 Panini Optic No. 191
3. 2018-19 Topps Chrome Bundesliga No. 12
4. 2018-19 Panini Immaculate No. 5
5. 2018-19 Topps Chrome Bundesliga Future Star No. FS-KH
6. 2019-20 Topps Finest UEFA Champions League No. 57

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 - Mohamed Salah

Here’s another player that y’all have been asking us to go over his key cards! The 3 earliest cards/stickers for Mohamed Salah are the 2013 Panini UEFA Champions no. 302 and 372. Those stickers are regarded to be his true rookies. Also another card that is in the mix is the 2013 Simulacija no. 94. We aren’t exactly sure where this set came from, but it is a pop 5 in the PSA registry.

Lastly, there is a 2014 TOPPS PREMIER insert that you can get of his as well.

The 2 main key cards that are readily available are the 2018 Panini World Cup Prizm no. 54 and the 2017 Topps Chrome no. 24. Salah’s Prizm is interesting since Egypt aren’t always a lock to qualify for the World Cup, so it might be his only World Cup Prizm.

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 - Erling Haaland

Today we are going over the extremely talented Norwegian striker, Erling Haaland’s key cards.

His earliest cards and stickers are when Haaland was with RB Salzburg in the Austrian League. His true rookie card is his Topps Now when he scored a hat trick against Genk. The print run is extremely limited, so good luck trying to snag that card. HIs other key cards/stickers that are readily available are his No. 32 2020 Fussball Sticker (Dark Grey) and his no. 72 2020 Bundesliga Topps Chrome.

His other notable cards that are worth taking a look at are his 2020 Topps Finest, 2020 Champions League Topps Sticker, and his 2020 Topps Living set. Borussia Dortmund also have special sets such as the Topps Curated set and Topps Transcendent set which also includes Haaland as well.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 - Kevin De Bruyne

What’s up SLI fam! Today, we are going to go over the earliest stickers and cards of the best midfielder right now, Kevin De Bruyne. Kevin De Bruyne earliest stickers are hard to come by when he played for Genk in Belgium from 2008-2012, but you can find some of the Champions League sticker when he played for them.

Here is the the list of his earliest stickers and cards.
1. 2010-11 Panini Foot Belgium Sticker No. 163
2. 2010-11 Panini Foot Belgium Sticker No. 153
3. 2011-12 Panini Foot Belgium Sticker No. 95
4. 2013 Topps Premier Future Stars Card No. FS-KD
5. 2011-12 Panini Champions League Sticker No. 338
6. 2014 Panini World Cup Sticker No. 575
7. 2016 Panini Prizm Euro Card No. 23
8. 2018 Panini Prizm World Cup Card No. 17

While doing research, we came across a reprint of his 2011-12 Panini Foot Sticker so watch out for reprinted stickers not just for KDB, but for every player you are buying.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 - Joao Felix

the u17 benfica sticker?

You guys asked, and we listen! Today we are going over Joao Felix’s earliest stickers and cards, and we also included some notable cards as well. One of the unique things about Joao Felix is that he doesn’t have a ton of first year stickers and cards.

The first two stickers of Joao Felix is with his first club Benfica. Those stickers come from the 2018 Panini Futebol Portugal set. The first sticker is no.393, and the 2nd sticker is no. 376. The trademark card for Joao Felix is the Topps Chrome Champions League set which is no. 10. There are also early Benfica stickers no. 32 and no. 33 according to the PSA registry, but those are harder to find.

The next set of cards are just some notable 2nd year cards of Joao Felix. Gold Standard and Obsidian are first year sets for Panini, and it seems like the market have some love for those cards. Also the Topps Living set is another interesting card since the pop count is at 376. Joao Felix also has a Megacracks and a Topps Finest card as well!

AUGUST 29, 2020 - Vinicius Jr.

Today, we’ll be showcasing some of Vinicius Jr. earliest cards/stickers. Great young talent for Real Madrid who we think will be a crucial player for Real Madrid come next season.

Up first, we have his 2017 O Globo Brazil promessas stickers No. 55 which comes from the U17 South American tournament in which he won best player of the tournament award. For No. 2 and No. 3 in the list we have 2017 Abril - Campeonato Carioca Sub 20. Where he represented Flamengo in the U20 tournament. Now both of these stickers aren’t numbered, so we couldn’t confirm if these belong to the same album or separate ones (If you happen to know please let us know in the comments below). Falling No. 4 we have Vinicius Jr. in his Real Madrid Kit. His 2018-19 Panini Este La liga sticker No. 15. Lastly, we are showing his 2018-19 Panini Donruss No. 177.

AUGUST 24, 2020 - Alphonso Davies

*ADD CERVON STICKER*

This young North American prospect has been the talk of town lately and no Bryan this isn’t about Pulisic or Renya, it’s Alphonso Davies. US isn’t the only country in North America that can produce talent.

To celebrate Bayern Munich and Davies champions league victory, we will be doing a deep dive into Davies earliest stickers and cards.

Also the Topps #157 came out 3 months earlier than the stadium Topps!
If you live in the Vancouver area there’s a store called Pharmsave, in which, you could purchase the 2018 sticker album if it’s in stock. In that sticker album, we believe you could get his 2018 sticker.

We also wanted to point out in the 2019-20 Panini Bayern Munich sticker album it contains some of Davies stickers.

Here is the list of Davies earliest stickers and cards
1. 2018 Topps Stadium Club MLS Card #21
2. 2018 Topps MLS Card #157
3. 2018-19 Panini Donruss Optic #176
4. 2019-20 Panini Fifa 365 #165

*In 2018-19 Donruss set you can also find his Donruss card*

AUGUST 24, 2020 - Paulo Dybala

We’re back, this one was voted by the community, and we appreciate everyone who answered the question. @paulodybala was one of the most asked rookie stickers/ cards we were asked to do. Don’t worry we have a list of players and will be slowly featuring them on this segment. So with no further ado, we are going to highlight Paulo Dybala’s earliest stickers/ cards.

Something we wanted to note before we go over his earliest stickers/ cards. The 2011-12 Panini Futbol Update Sticker #X236 (1) might or might not be a legitimate sticker of his. Going through the checklist of that 2011 set we couldn’t find him in it and from forums people couldn’t confirm if it was real or fake. We know it’s an updated sticker so it might not have been included in the checklist? But we’re not too sure. So we want to emphasis to everyone, do some research before buying any stickers/ cards to make sure what you’re buying is the real thing. Also if anyone in the community can tell us more about this sticker that would help us and everyone know more about this sticker.

So really this is where we start listing his earliest stickers/ cards.
1. 2011-12 Panini Futbol Update Sticker #X236
2. 2012-12 Panini Calciatori Sticker #316
3. 2016 Panini Copa America Centenario Sticker #323
4. 2016-17 Panini Select Field Level Card #220
5. 2017-18 Topps Chrome Card #88
6. 2018 Panini World Cup Prizm #10

*Dybala also has a 2016-17 Panini Donruss Card #116*

AUGUST 20, 2020 - Cristiano Ronaldo

*UPDATE*

Aaaaannndddd we’re back SLI fam with today’s topic, What is Cristiano Ronaldo’s earliest stickers/ cards? Some of you probably already know the answer to this and some of you probably don’t know. So today, we are going to highlight some of Ronaldo’s earliest stickers/ cards.

Up first, we have his 2002-03 Panini Futebol Sticker 306 (1), 2002-03 Panini Megacraques Card 137 (2), 2003-04 Merlin EPL Sticker 408 (3), 2004 Panini UEFA Euro Sticker #23 (4), and lastly is his 2003-04 Upper Deck Cards #13 (5a), #14 (5b), and #15 (5c). Also his SP Authentic

*The third sticker of Ronaldo shown in the post is actually his 2005 Merlins not his 2003. We’re sorry for the mistake.*

AUGUST 19, 2020 - Lionel Messi

SLI fam!! We got you guys with a breakdown of Messi’s earliest stickers and cards for your reference!

The first card is the 2004-05 Mundicromo sport Las fichas #617 (1), 2004-05 Mundicromo Top Liga #195 (2), 2004-05 panini este sticker (3), 2005-05 panini Megacracks #71 (4), and lastly we have the Barca Campeón edition. We have to remember that there is a Spanish version and also a Catalan version. It features three cards: Campeones, acción, and autógrafo. The Catalan version is rarer to find on the marketplace.

The iconic card to date of Messi is the #71bis Megacrack card. A BGS 9.5 consistently sells for over $20k!! Also something else to note is the #195 Top Liga is extremely hard to find in a good grade as well.

Obviously there are other key cards and stickers in his 2005 and 2006 years as well that you can look for that ave tremendous values with Messi’s first Champions league appearance and his first World Cup as well.

AUGUST 18, 2020 - Neymar Jr.

What’s up everyone?!?! Thanks for @sacccards for bringing up this subject. With so many new investors/ collectors getting into the soccer card hobby, some of us don’t even know the earliest rookies of some of these key players that exist!

So today, we are going to highlight Neymar Jr.’s and some of his earliest stickers. 2009-10 Abril Gol #154 (1), 2009-10 Abril Gol #155 (2), 2010 Panini Campeonato Brasileiro #300 (3), 2011 Panini Copa America #133 (4), 2011 Panini Copa America #329 (5).

One thing to note about Neymar’s early stickers are that it is extremely hard to find in a good grade. Obviously Neymar’s World Cup Prizm and stickers are blowing up in prices. To give you an idea how tough these grades can be, a PSA 5.5 #154 recently sold for $560!!