The English Football Association announced this week that the Women’s Super League will debut a batch of Panini stickers.
Worldwide, soccer enthusiasts of all ages have treasured their sticker collections. They are well-known for their trading cards and other collectibles. They have never put out a collection that is dedicated only to women’s domestic soccer.
Thus up until today, Panini has just covered women’s international competitions. What this means is that the Women’s Super League (WSL) is making a grand entrance. A fresh set of about 350 stickers, including the much-desired shiny ones, will be available. Panini signed a licensing agreement with the English FA.
An album and five sticker packs will be available as a beginning package for collectors. Included in the upcoming WSL sticker album are 12 shinies. These are unique foil stickers representing each of the 12 teams, along with images of league emblems and players.
What did Panini and the FA say?
“This is such a special moment for us at Panini, having the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the growth of the women’s game through the first-ever Barclays Women’s Super League Official Sticker Collection!
“We are extremely proud of our longstanding relationship with The FA and our heritage in celebrating iconic moments through our collections, further cementing Panini in football history.
Panini had Women’s World Cup stickers for the 2023 tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
“We couldn’t be prouder of this collection and what it represents; the phenomenal growth and success of these incredible women, and we look forward to supporting the continued growth of the women’s game through our Barclays WSL collections”, said Katie Gritt, who heads up sport marketing for Panini.
Baroness Sue Campbell, the Director of Women’s Football at the FA, took it further. “We are thrilled to announce our relationship with Panini, a brand that is synonymous with football worldwide. With fan experience key to everything we do, we are delighted that fans of the BWSL will now be able to collect and trade stickers of their favorite players.”
WSL only grows in popularity
With a history of sticker album production dating back to 1970, Panini made its debut with a 2011 World Cup women’s football collection. Debuting last year, they catered to the women’s domestic football market in Spain’s premier division, Liga F.
Panini has announced that the physical Barclays WSL sticker collection will be available for purchase beginning in December. This follows the popularity of previous collections that have celebrated international women’s soccer competitions.
In the wake of Euro 2022, the Lionesses’ performance at the 2023 World Cup marked another turning point. Attendance in the Women’s Super League increased by 170 percent from 2022–23 compared to the previous year. That made the Women’s Super League the most-attended league.
Since it resumed in October, attendance has been setting new records, and experts expect this trend to keep going. This achievement occurs at the same time the Barclays WSL has the most female professional players participating in the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
