A month ago, PSA unveiled The Seven Wonders of the Soccer Collecting World in order to define the top seven most iconic soccer items from before 1980. The Seven Wonders of the World received a new variation in 2000 named the New Seven Wonders of the World. Soccer collecting also views different periods of collecting, with 1980 being the relative beginning of the modern era. In order to honor some of the most iconic post-1980 soccer cards and stickers, PSA has created a new list: New Seven Wonders of the Soccer Collecting World. It is important to note that these choices are not based off of value or rarity, but rather items that stand out as important in the soccer collecting hobby.
Today, Nov. 29, 2021, the Ballon d’Or annual awards ceremony is being held in Paris, France. The award, which is given to the best men’s soccer player across the globe, is heavily contested and Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski are leading the pack to win the award for 2021. This award forever cements players into the illustrious history of the world-wide sport. Along with the Ballon d’Or, the awards for best young player and best goalkeeper are also awarded. This event is watched across the globe to see who will be able to lift the individual trophy.
If you would like to read the article in much greater detail on the careers of these players and the items chosen, please follow this link. Without further ado, here are our vies on the New Seven Wonders of the Soccer Collecting World and the reasons we selected each item.
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2004-05 Panini Sports Mega Cracks #71 Lionel Messi
Messi is one of the greatest players to ever grace the pitch. This rare Spanish card is heavily sought after for many soccer collectors due to its importance in the hobby. While 424 copies have been encapsulated by PSA, only 20 have received the grade of PSA Gem-MT 10.
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2002-03 Panini Sports Mega Craques #137 Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo is a winner across Europe with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. The Portuguese superstar is pictured in his Sporting CP kit before his move to Manchester United. This card has been graded 189 times at PSA, with only 38 copies receiving the grade of PSA 10.
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1991-92 Panini Foot ’92 #43 Zinedine Zidane
Zidane was a legend for France and Real Madrid. This sticker is a tough one to find, with only 69 ever having been graded by PSA as of November 2021. Out of the 69 graded, zero have been given the GEM-MT grade of PSA 10 and just five copies have earned PSA 9.
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1999 Panini Campeonato Brasileiro #124 Ronaldinho
The Brazilian master of the sport was a world-wide icon during his prime, including a World Cup trophy. This hard-to-find sticker issued in Brazil has only been graded 47 times by PSA, with only two of them earning the grade of a Gem-MT 10.
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1982-83 Panini Voetbal 83 #21 Marco Van Basten
Van Basten is a three-time Ballon d’Or winner, a feat accomplished by very few players over the history of the award. As of November 2021, PSA has graded only 16 copies of this elusive sticker. Of the examples graded there are zero PSA 9 or 10s and just two PSA 8s! The sticker bolsters a fantastic headshot of a teenage Van Basten in the iconic Red and White kit of Ajax.
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1994-95 Panini Voetbal 95 #78 Ronaldo
This Ronaldo represents one of, if not, the most lethal finishers in the sport of soccer. His journey brought him across Europe where he showed his talents to the world. As of November 2021, PSA has graded this Dutch sticker 98 times, with seven copies receiving the PSA 10 designation.
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1996-97 Panini Foot ’97 #195 Thierry Henry
A member of “The Invincibles,” Henry made his mark on English and World soccer over his illustrious career. The sticker, which was distributed in France, is difficult to locate with only 34 copies having been authenticated by PSA. Of the 34, just three are graded PSA 10. This sticker is one soccer collectors the world over desire to have in their collections!
In order for collectors to memorialize their endeavors in finding these seven items, PSA has created a New Seven Wonders of the Soccer Collecting World Set Registry set pinpointing the top seven most iconic soccer items from after 1980.
