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Most valuable and rare football stickers worth up to £56,000 including Messi and Mbappe – do you have one?
We reveal the exact details and dates to spot in your collection
THERE are just days left until the eyes of the football world turn to Germany for Euro 2024.
And while the nation holds its breath to see if England finally manage to bring it home, you could be on to a nice little earner with your sticker collection.
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Football stickers have undergone a resurgence in recent years, with both kids and adult footie fans keen to finish their albums as quickly as possible.
With the latest album for Euro 2024 hitting the shelves now, the popularity of collecting and swapping stickers show no signs of slowing down.
But some stickers - especially older ones in good condition - can sometimes sell for hefty sums.
The Sun spoke to Kevin Hawthorne, owner and founder of Uncle Fora Sports Cards and co-founder of The Brighton Football Card and Memorabilia Show, about how stickers have become big business.
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It's important to remember that you aren't guaranteed to fetch huge amounts if you do choose to sell your stickers, as prices can fluctuate based on a number of factors.
For example, demand at the time you come to sell and how common it is in circulation can affect its value.
And remember that anyone can list a sticker on eBay and charge whatever amount they wish, but it's only ever worth what someone is willing to pay.
So, looking at listing prices isn't necessarily a reflection of what the are actually selling for.
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You will get a more accurate indication of what people are willing to pay for a specific sticker by checking the "recently sold" section on eBay.
We picked Kevin's brain to find out which stickers are the most valuable and the exact designs you should be looking out for.
How to do Germany on a budget for Euro 2024
All of the values mentioned below are verified by auction house PWCC Market Place.
Lionel Messi 2006 Panini World Cup Germany Collection - £825.85
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Lionel Messi is a world-renowned football star and current Inter Miami player.
He captained Argentina to World Cup victory in 2022, but it's the sticker from his first-ever tournament that interests collectors the most.
Kevin said: "Lionel Messi's first ever World Cup sticker recently sold in gem mint condition for £825.85 in early 2024.
"These stickers can be found in sealed packets and can be purchased on eBay for around £5 each."
The stickers inside each packet however are totally random, so you aren't guaranteed to find this Messi sticker inside.
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Senior Consumer reporter Olivia Marshall shares her tips.
Match worn football shirts
If you're lucky enough to have a match worn football shirt from the right player, era and game you could be sitting on a goldmine.
Match worn shirts is a really big market and for a player on an average team.
Some have sold on eBay for nearly £3,000.
A shirt said to have been worn by David Beckham for Manchester United with his famous number 7 on the back sold for £2,850 on the site just before the 2022 World Cup.
But you may need to be careful when buying on eBay, as it can be difficult to verify authenticity.
Replica shirts
While the big money is in match worn shirts, some replica shirts can also be valuable.
There has been a particular boom in sales of shirts from the 80s and 90s, with one rare Arsenal top selling for hundreds of pounds.
Football programmes
Modern day football programmes aren’t worth much, but if you’re sitting on a collection from before the 1960s you could be on to a winner.
Football memorabilia expert Dave Alexander from Football Wanted told The Sun he sold a collection of paper football programmes from before WWII for £35,000.
1962-63 A & B C Footballers Bazooka - £1,123.59
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Bobby Moore was the captain of the England national team that won the 1966 FIFA World Cup.
For that reason, stickers featuring the legend can fetch a pretty penny.
"The late, great Sir Booby Moore's first ever official football card was recently sold in excellent condition for £1,123.59 at auction," said Kevin.
"A reasonably low price for the only ever player to captain a World Cup winning England team."
2016 Panini Foot Sticker Collection (FRA) - £2,358.54
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Kylian Mbappe is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of his generation.
He has played for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 in France since his permanent move from Monaco in 2018.
Mbappe won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup after he scored eight goals for the French national team
The star first appeared on a joint sticker in 2016, alongside fellow French footballer Corentin Jean.
Kevin said: "This joint sticker represents Mbappe's first ever football sticker printed by Panini.
"In recent years, this sticker once sold in gem mint condition for £18,868.32.
"Due to it's relatively young sticker age of only eight years, the sticker is less rate, with the highest paid price dropping to £2,358.54."
2002-03 Panini Futebol (POR) - £14,151.24
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Cristiano Ronaldo is an Al-Nassr and Portugal footballer, formerly playing for Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Sporting Lisbon.
He is considered one of the greatest in this generation, so it's no surprise that his first ever could can fetch a hefty sum.
Kevin said: "One of the most sought after modern stickers in the collecting world.
"A Cristiano Ronaldo Sporting Lisbon rookie sticker in pristine condition sold in April 2024 at auction for £14,151.24."
A rookie card refers to a players' first card once they make their major league debut.
1978 Crack Campeonato Mundial - £56,604.96
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Football legend Diego Maradona is widely regarded as one of the game's greatest ever players.
The Argentine forward - notorious for his infamous "hand of god" goal against England - died at his home in Brazil in 2020.
Maradona cards may be priceless to many collectors, but Kevin said there is one in particuar that is worth looking out for.
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He told The Sun: "This Diego Maradona sticker is his first in an Argentina jersey, that arguably should have represented his first ever world cup, only for him to be caught in the middle of political turmoil involving Argentina's head coach at the time.
"This ultra rare near mint condition sticker sold for £56,604.96 two years ago, and hasn't been seen since."
How to spot valuable items
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It’s easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by “sold listings” and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records - just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker’s latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You’re never guaranteed to make a mint, however.
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