Panini and Topps: trading cards for collectors

Panini is an Italian business founded in Modena in 1961 by Giuseppe Panini, joined by his brother Benito, after the pair had success selling sticker collections the year before. Topps began in Brooklyn in 1938 under the Shorin brothers and issued its first baseball cards in 1951, becoming the defining American card brand of the following decades.

Panini's sports-card arm, Panini America, was formed in 2009 when the group bought the assets of Donruss, inheriting its American football licences. It became the NBA's exclusive card partner from the 2009-10 season and built the Prizm, Select, Optic and Absolute brands that now dominate modern chases. Panini has made FIFA World Cup sticker albums since Mexico 1970, but in May 2026 FIFA announced that Fanatics will take over from 2031, leaving the 2030 tournament as Panini's last.

Topps has been owned by Fanatics since January 2022, when the sports merchandise company bought its sports and entertainment division. Fanatics had already secured future MLB, NBA and NFL Players Association rights, and the deal brought Topps's existing Formula 1, UEFA, MLS and Bundesliga licences under the same roof. The NFLPA ended Panini's football player contract early in August 2023, and Panini's NBA rights ran only through 2025, so the American market has shifted sharply towards Fanatics and Topps.

For UK collectors the domestic picture has also changed. Topps, through its Merlin business, held the Premier League licence from 1994 until 2019, Panini took over from 2019-20, and the rights returned to Fanatics and Topps from the 2025-26 season. Topps also produces UEFA Champions League stickers and cards, including Topps Chrome UCL since 2017-18, and has been Formula 1's official card and sticker licensee since 2020, making its Chrome F1 sets a major UK chase.