Panini has been FIFA's trading card partner since 1970. Fanatics just won the next deal.
The two firms signed an exclusive long-term deal on Thursday. It covers trading cards, stickers, and digital collectibles. Panini stays on through the 2030 World Cup, then hands off.
The full deal kicks in in 2031. But the rollout starts this summer at the World Cup.
Players in their first cup will wear a "debut patch." It gets stored for trading cards released five years later.
Fanatics started the patch program with Major League Baseball in 2023. Now it's coming to the biggest sporting event in the world.
The deal covers real and digital cards, plus trading card games.
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Fanatics already runs the rights for the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. FIFA was the one piece of global sports it didn't own.
"Global football is the biggest growth chance in sports," Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin said in the news release. He called it a "historic day" for the firm.
The math is simple. Soccer's fan base is bigger than the four big U.S. leagues combined. Fanatics now has a long runway to sell into it.
The firm has spent the past decade buying up sports rights. It now runs cards, gear, and gear shops for most big U.S. leagues. The FIFA deal was the last big piece on the board.
Cards have been one of the firm's fastest growing units. Each new deal helps it lock in more of the field.
For FIFA, the upside is reach and cash. Fanatics has been the most active player in updating sports cards - in particular digital ones - and FIFA wants in on that.
"Fanatics are driving massive innovation in collectibles," FIFA chief Gianni Infantino said. He said FIFA can globalize fan engagement thanks to its global tournament reach.
In plain English: more cards, more games, more digital, and more cash flowing back into the sport.
The trial run starts this summer. The official FIFA World Cup Final press events will take place at Fanatics Fest on July 17 in New York City. That's two days before the final at MetLife Stadium across the Hudson.
Fanatics Fest will also air the final live on screens around the Javits Center for tens of thousands of expected guests.
This year's World Cup runs in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. It's the first time the U.S. has hosted since 1994.
The 2031 calendar matters less than the next two months. This summer's World Cup is the proof of concept.
If it works, the biggest sport in the world will run through one firm's catalog for the next decade.
Panini had FIFA from 1970 through 2030. The Fanatics era starts the year after.
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