5. Jadon Sancho 2018 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League #86
The young winger has made plenty of headlines in 2020, which is never a bad thing in the world of trading cards. In May of this year, he recorded his first career hat trick for his Bundesliga team, Borussia Dortmund. That event corresponds with a nearly 100% increase in the value of Sancho’s 2018 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League #86 PSA 10. He then ended league play in the 2019-20 campaign with a career-high 17 goals. In early May this card was just over $200, it is now trading between $400-$500. With a potential transfer to Manchester United looming (even though the England International is rumored to prefer Liverpool at this point in time), another price bump could be on the horizon.
4. Neymar Jr. 2014 Panini Prizm World Cup #112
There may be no hotter football card on the market than the Neymar Jr. 2014 Prizm World Cup #112, and for good reason. We are not long removed from Neymar Jr. scoring the lone goal in the 2020 Coupe de France final to clinch victory for Paris Saint-Germain. And much like Sancho, there is a chance that Neymar will be on the move for the 2020-21 season, with Barcelona showing high interest in the Brazilian star. Given all of these factors, the Neymar Jr. 2014 Prizm World Cup #112 PSA 10 saw over a $150 increase in the month of July jumping from a little over $300 to most recently $475. Again, if he is donning a new kit in the near future, this card will likely see another spike.
3. Kylian Mbappe 2018 Panini Prizm World Cup #80
Coming in next on our list is the card of another PSG star, the Kylian Mbappe 2018 Prizm World Cup #80 PSA 10. The 2018 FIFA World Cup Champion and Best Young Player award winner has continued to establish himself as one of the best in the game, as he just won his second Ligue 1 top goalscorer crown in a row. Unfortunately, Mbappe did suffer an ankle injury in the Coupe de France final and will miss PSG’s Champions League quarterfinal match against Atalanta, but could still return for the semis. Despite the injury, the Mbappe 2018 Prizm World Cup #80 PSA 10 has increased around 100% since late June, even though the injury caused a slight dip in recent sales. This card could be yours for around $900 right now.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo 2014 Panini Prizm world Cup #161
As one of the greatest players of his generation, seeing the Cristiano Ronaldo 2014 Prizm World Cup #161 makes a lot of sense in the number 2 slot. The base PSA 10 is going for $1,000 right now. But, why is a card from 2014 so popular for a 5-time Ballon d’Or award winner who made his professional debut in the 2002-03 season at the age of 17? The answer is that 2014 was the first year Panini produced their coveted Prizm Set for the World Cup. Star players’ first Prizm cards have started to become extremely valuable across the board, and football is no exception. On top of hobby boxes, the Prizm set offers retail releases that add to the sets of accessibility and popularity. Of course, if you are lucky enough to pull one of the many parallels of the Cristiano Ronaldo 2014 Prizm World Cup #161 you could be in real luck, as the Silver (or Prizm as it used to be called) parallel PSA 10 has gone for $7,500 according to PSA auction data (there are only 3 in existence as of today).
1. Lionel Messi 2014 Panini Prizm World Cup #12
It is really a toss-up between the number 1 and 2 cards on this list, but we’re giving the edge to the Lionel Messi 2014 Prizm World Cup #12. Messi has captured many accolades in his professional career for Barcelona and the Argentinian national team. Much like Ronaldo, the 6-time Ballon d’Or award winner saw his first Prizm card in the 2014 Panini Prizm World Cup set. With a little over 200 PSA 10s in existence to date, this card is still relatively rare. Currently the Messi 2014 Prizm World Cup #12 Base PSA 10 is trading right around $1,000.
All of the factors are perfect for football trading cards to continue to rise in value. Mixing the sports global popularity, with the recent boom that the trading card hobby is experiencing, these cardboard collectibles will surely see their value continue to climb for the foreseeable future. Now is the perfect time to enter the hobby and start your collection!
