Panini's World Cup Album: 88% Accurate, Big Names Miss Out

Panini's highly anticipated 2026 World Cup sticker album, released on May 30, achieved a remarkable 88% accuracy in predicting national squads. Despite the high accuracy, the collection inevitably features significant omissions, including Brazilian superstar Neymar and several English players.

The album represents all 48 teams participating in the tournament, with each country's page dedicated to 18 players. The selection process involved a dedicated editorial team analyzing various data points like performance, form, and injuries, working closely with national federations.

Notable exclusions from the album are Brazil's Neymar, who was included in the official World Cup squad despite injury concerns, and several England players like Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Phil Foden, who are in the album but not in the squad. Other absentees include young talents and established players from various nations.

The process was challenging, especially for the Italian team, whose entire album had to be deleted after Italy's failure to qualify through the playoffs concluded on March 31. Panini confirmed that the album's accuracy mirrors that of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, despite an increased number of stickers from 670 to 980.

Completing this expanded album is a costly endeavor, with sticker packs priced higher than in previous years. To aid collectors, an update set is available for preorder, featuring players initially excluded. This collection continues Panini's tradition, though their partnership with FIFA is set to conclude after this tournament, with Topps taking over in 2030.