The 2022 World Cup fever is on. Fans with greater economic possibilities have reserved hotels and tickets to matches. Meanwhile, those who will watch the matches in their respective countries already have in their hands the well-known album of Panini cards.
The origin of this is portrayed in the brothers Giusseppe, Benito, Franco and Umberto Panini, originally from Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. Decades of tradition have passed through the Panini album, released in 1970, at the initiative of the brothers who gave it their last name, after a trip to Modena. In 1945 the family obtained permission to sell in a kiosk very close to the cathedral of that town. And an interesting collection of plants and flowers came into his hands.
Collectible cards or tokens were in fashion. But the Panini brothers turned this trend around, and decided to divide the cards into packs of two units to be sold separately, as this brought them more money.
In 1961 they rented a printing workshop in Vía Castelmaraldo, processed the card rights of some Italian soccer stars and established what is now common: collectibles with images of sports idols. The business evolved positively and it was in 1964 when the first album was released, after the investment of the Panini in a printing plant.
Panini Brothers partner with FIFA
This happened in 1970. The association took place with the commitment to produce the World Cup album in Mexico. The brand was in the hands of the brothers until 1989, when they decided to sell it to Robert Maxwell, owner of the Daily Mirror, for 96 million pounds. But Maxwell invested Panini’s profits in other businesses and the cards lost relevance.
When Maxwell died in 1991, it passed into the hands of the Italian consortium Bain, Gallo, Cuneo and De Agostini. Then, in 1994, Panini is acquired by none other than the Marvel Entertainment Group, but, unfortunately, it went bankrupt and after five years it passed into the hands of the Italian company Fineldo, which keeps the brand standing.
Panini in numbers
In September, information circulated based on estimates by Welsh mathematician Paul Harper of Cardiff University on the cost of completing the 32 Qatar 2022 selections on the Panini album. Harper noted that without trading, a fan would need to purchase a total of 904 packs. That can represent a four-digit figure.
The amounts are increased by cards of stars like Messi or Ronaldo. In addition, there is the resale of both albums and prints, and bets on social networks or workplaces.
With respect to the brand, for the year 2014 profits close to US$ 800 million were recorded and in 2018 Panini exceeded US$ 1,000 million. In the 2022 Qatar Cup, next November, they hope to exceed this figure.
Panini is among the companies that generate the most dividends during a World Cup. Considering that from 2026 the Cup will have 48 selections instead of 32, an increase in Panini’s profits is to be expected, as fans will have to invest in more packs of cards to complete the album. However, this will also imply an increase in the value of the album itself. It will be necessary to wait until 2026 to know the future of the album, as well as its association with FIFA, after the brand lost the exclusivity to be the album of the European Championship, which was awarded to the American Troop.
M.Pino
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With information from agencies, social networks and media specialized in sports
