Kids in Italy, especially boys, who grew up after the 1960s, eagerly collected, traded, and stuck “le figurine Panini” (Panini stickers), in their albums. These stickers became a milestone in their childhood, linked to the national obsession with soccer. Opening a freshly bought pack, they’d flip through the stickers, hoping to find the ones still missing from their album: “Ce l’ho… ce l’ho… Mi manca!” (“Got it… Got it… I was missing this one!”) was a familiar phrase among children and teenagers of the '60s, '70s, and '80s.
Exchanging stickers was more than just a way to complete a collection - it was a game, a small negotiation, and a rite of passage for many. Depending on the region of Italy, the ways of playing with them varied. In the schoolyard or at the park, each exchange became a small battlefield where kids would use their best negotiation skills to win the most desired stickers. Each person came prepared, offering their strongest arguments to complete their collection. The exchange was thrilling, with winners and losers, just like a real soccer match.
Before the rise of video games, smartphones, and the internet, Panini stickers were the ultimate entertainment for Italian kids. They saved their pocket money, dreaming of becoming champions and seeing their own face on a sticker. They imagined the joy of being part of their favorite team’s success - and even playing for the national team one day. The joy of completing the album was unparalleled, especially when that missing sticker was finally found. These collections sparked genuine collector’s passions, often simpler than those of wealthy magnates but perhaps more pure.
The credit goes to a great Italian, a visionary who changed the childhoods of millions of children. One hundred years ago, in Pozza di Maranello, Emilia Romagna, Giuseppe Panini, the "father" of soccer stickers, was born. To tell the story of this passion, today, in Modena, there is a magical place – the “Museo della Figurina” (Sticker Museum).
In the early years, getting the right photos to create the stickers was no easy task. Panini didn’t have many photo agencies to rely on, and not every soccer team had a press office to provide images of their players. The company had to get creative, asking journalist friends, turning to small photography agencies, and even hiring last-minute photographers to fill in gaps. Panini albums gave Italians their first real look at the faces of soccer players - a big deal in the '60s when radio was the primary way people followed games.
The Panini company was founded in 1961 by Giuseppe and his three brothers - Benito, Umberto, and Franco - who had previously run a newsstand in Modena. The brothers saw an opportunity in creating a soccer sticker collection, which led to the launch of the first “Calciatori Panini” collection. Over the years, their small family business grew into an international icon, and by the 1980s, Panini had expanded its reach, achieving annual revenues in the billions of lire.
In 1994, after a series of changes, Panini was sold to Marvel Entertainment Group, which hoped to introduce American superhero comics in Italy. However, the company still remained largely under Italian management, and by 1999, Panini was once again fully Italian. The name was changed from Marvel Italia to Panini Comics, and by 2013, it had grown into one of Europe’s most influential comic book publishers. Panini also acquired the rights to publish Disney comics in Italy and later took over DC Comics’ publishing rights.
Panini’s rise is a story of ingenuity and perseverance. In a country still recovering from the aftermath of war, the Panini brothers, along with their four sisters, created a business that has since become a worldwide legend. The Panini Group, headquartered in Modena, is now the global leader in sticker production. By 2001, the company claimed to have printed over 40 billion stickers in its first 40 years, just for the "Calciatori" album. Today, it produces more than 5 billion stickers annually and distributes them in over 120 countries.
What’s even more remarkable is that today approximately 50% of Panini sticker buyers are adults - many are collectors who grew up with these albums. The internet and social media have made it easier to trade stickers, but the nostalgia for the collection still holds a strong grip on fans. In the past, it wasn’t possible to request missing stickers, and the frustration of having one or two empty spots in the album was a real letdown.
Each year, the latest edition of the Panini “Calciatori” album is highly anticipated, with fans eager to see what new additions it holds. However, part of the charm of Panini albums lies in their imperfections. Over the years, small errors - such as player mix-ups, swapped photos, or incorrect stadium names - have become endearing marks of authenticity. If there’s no mistake, it’s almost as if it’s not a true Panini album. These imperfections have become part of the fun of collecting, and discovering the next mistake is as exciting as completing the collection itself.
One of the most famous missing stickers was that of Pier Luigi Pizzaballa, a relatively unknown goalkeeper for Atalanta, the soccer team of Bergamo in Lombardy. His sticker was rumored to be impossible to find in the '60s albums. Some believed that Pizzaballa had missed the photo shoot altogether, but in fact, the sticker did exist, printed just like all the others. To this day, Panini fans remember Pizzaballa not for his career, but for his elusive sticker.
Panini stickers today come in two main types. The traditional Italian version is printed on adhesive paper, which collectors place into albums. These stickers come in packets of four to seven. The American version, however, uses thin cardboard without adhesive, and the images and text are printed on both sides. These are sold in packets of six to ten stickers.
The Panini sticker collection is more than just a childhood pastime - it’s a lasting tradition that continues to captivate the imaginations of fans and collectors around the world, regardless of age.
