Panini Group
In 1960, Benito and Giuseppe Panini operated a newspaper distribution office in Modena, Italy. They discovered a collection of figurines that a Milan company could not sell. The brothers purchased the entire stock and sold them in packets of two for ten lire each. They moved three million packets during that initial period. This success prompted Giuseppe to establish Panini as a manufacturing entity in 1961. Benito joined his brother in the new venture the same year. Sales reached fifteen million packets within the first year alone. Twenty-nine million units were sold the following year. Franco and Umberto Panini joined the family business in 1963. Umberto Panini died on the 29th of November 2013 at the age of eighty-three.
Panini published its first FIFA World Cup sticker album for the 1970 tournament held in Mexico. The company used multilingual captions and began selling stickers outside of Italy for the first time. The Guardian noted that swapping duplicate World Cup stickers became a playground fixture throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In the early 1970s, Panini introduced self-adhesive stickers instead of using glue. A 1970 World Cup Panini sticker album signed by Pelé sold for £10,450 in 2017. The company assembled each World Cup squad months before official announcements. This timing meant surprise call-ups often did not feature in their albums. Seventeen-year-old Brazilian striker Ronaldo was called up for the Brazil squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup but appeared too late for inclusion.
In May 2006, Panini partnered with The Coca-Cola Company to produce the first virtual sticker album for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The digital album was viewable in at least ten different languages including Portuguese, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. Three million FIFA.com users participated in the Panini Digital Sticker Album contest during the 2014 World Cup. Fans could collect and swap virtual stickers through an app developed for the 2018 World Cup. Five million people gathered digital stickers for that tournament. The classic football stickers were complemented by the collectible card game Adrenalyn XL which arrived in 2009. Topps signed a deal in 2015 to produce stickers and trading cards for the UEFA Champions League competition.
The National Basketball Association announced Panini would become the exclusive trading card partner of the league beginning with the 2009-10 season. In March 2009, The Panini Group purchased assets of Donruss Playoff LP. This acquisition formed the new subsidiary known as Panini America. The company continued operations out of Irving, Texas with much of the existing upper management remaining. Kobe Bryant served as the official company spokesman and global trading card ambassador starting in 2009. Bryant grew up collecting Italian football stickers before his NBA career. Panini acquired a multi-year trading card licence from the NHL and NHLPA in March 2010. The 2010-11 ice hockey season marked the first time more than one company produced NHL cards since Upper Deck had entered the market.
Panini secured an exclusive agreement with five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant in 2009. The company holds official licences for NASCAR, WWE, FIFA, Disney, DreamWorks and Warner Bros. In January 2021, Panini America signed an exclusive multi-year trading card deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Later that August, they partnered with the UFC to release NFTs commemorating big fights and milestones. In June 2025, Panini America was announced as the title sponsor of the Senior Bowl. The company became the Official Trading Card partner of EuroLeague in October 2023. As of May 2025, Panini held rights for all three divisions of the English Football League including the EFL Cup and EFL Trophy.
During the 2018 World Cup, Panini produced an average of eight to ten million card packages per day. A UK couple dubbed themselves the Panini Cheapskates by filling their 2018 World Cup sticker album through drawing. In November 2025, Panini America faced a lawsuit from rival Wild Card. The plaintiff alleged violations of US and Texas antitrust law regarding distribution practices. The suit claimed Panini threatened Wild Card's distribution partners to reduce output and suppress innovation. Panini paid Cristiano Ronaldo $170,000 for signing 1,000 stickers in 2016. Neymar received $50,000 for signing 600 stickers during that same year. The company maintains a Licensing Division to buy and resell licences for individuals and newspapers seeking rights.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did Benito and Giuseppe Panini start the Panini Group?
Benito and Giuseppe Panini started the business in 1960 by operating a newspaper distribution office in Modena, Italy. They established Panini as a manufacturing entity in 1961 after selling three million packets of figurines.
What year did Panini publish its first FIFA World Cup sticker album?
Panini published its first FIFA World Cup sticker album for the 1970 tournament held in Mexico. The company began selling stickers outside of Italy that same year using multilingual captions.
Who became the official spokesman for Panini America in 2009?
Kobe Bryant served as the official company spokesman and global trading card ambassador starting in 2009. He grew up collecting Italian football stickers before his NBA career.
How many digital stickers did fans collect during the 2018 World Cup?
Five million people gathered digital stickers for the 2018 World Cup through an app developed for that tournament. This followed a 2014 contest where three million FIFA.com users participated.
When did Panini acquire assets from Donruss Playoff LP to form Panini America?
In March 2009, The Panini Group purchased assets of Donruss Playoff LP to form the new subsidiary known as Panini America. The company continued operations out of Irving, Texas with much of the existing upper management remaining.