PSA Set Registry
Lionel Messi
Collectors Lining Up for Leo Cards
Messi mania has arrived in North America.
The soccer superstar has long been beloved in Europe and in his home country of Argentina, but he’s now being recognized as a GOAT (Greatest of All Time) in his sport in the United States.
Evidence of this is the growing demand for his cards and the lofty prices they have been commanding.
“I would say the market truly took off for Messi cards [in the United States] in the fall of 2020,” said Matt Hendler, who works for the PSA Set Registry as Brand Manager and whose specialty is soccer.
The market for Messi’s rookie cards has been particularly strong. To acquire these, most North American collectors had to track them down overseas.
Image courtesy of Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com
“His rookie cards were released in Spain [in 2004]. They’re hard to obtain and you’re very lucky if by the time you get one, it doesn’t have a corner that’s completely white,” said Hendler, noting that the cards are often damaged during shipping.
Jim Cole, who owns the No. 4 Messi Rookie Set on the PSA Set Registry, has faced similar challenges.
“I’ve had difficulty getting cards from Europe and finding trustworthy sources,” said Cole. “I don’t think they understand the exact standards of grading and what that means to the value.”
Neil Hamilton, who has built the No. 2 Messi Master Set on the PSA Set Registry, can also relate.
“I’ve had a lot of cards show up from Europe that were not as high a standard as I thought they would be,” he said. “To get PSA [GEM-MT] 10s of his rookie cards is tough.”
This helps explain why a PSA 10 of Messi’s most coveted rookie, his 2004 Panini Sports Mega Cracks (#71), fetched a whopping $270,600 in a Goldin Auctions sale in August 2021.
When he was growing up in Argentina, Messi couldn’t have possibly fathomed that a trading card with his image on it would one day garner that much. Born in 1987, he suffered from a hormone deficiency that rendered him smaller than other kids his age. He was prescribed costly growth hormone injections that his parents administered at night.
His size didn’t stop him from dazzling with his soccer skills though, and when he was 13, he was spotted by FC Barcelona scouts and offered the opportunity to train at their youth academy in Spain. As part of their pitch, the club said they would pay for his medical treatments. It was an offer he and his family couldn’t refuse.
So, the talented teen entered FC Barcelona’s junior program. He would make his professional debut when he was 17 and was soon wowing fans with his speed, dexterity, footwork and scoring abilities. In 2009, he captured his first of a record six Ballon d’Or trophies, which is awarded annually to the world’s top soccer player. During his 2009-10 season, he also won his first of six European Golden Shoe awards as the top goal scorer across European professional leagues.
And his popularity would only grow from there. In the 2012 calendar year, he set a record by tallying 91 goals between professional and international play, and two years later, he became the all-time leading scorer in La Liga, the top professional Spanish league.
Over the course of his 17 seasons with FC Barcelona, the team won 35 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League crowns. Along the way, Messi set several La Liga records, including most career goals (474), hat tricks (36) and assists (192).
This summer, Messi secured his first international title when he led Argentina to a victory over Brazil in the Copa America final. This silenced critics who had knocked him for his lack of success in international competitions.
This August, Messi left FC Barcelona and signed with Ligue 1’s Paris Saint-Germain.
He’s 34 now, but many feel Messi is still one of the greatest soccer players ever. A frequent debate today is who is better, him or Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Messi ranks up there with Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and LeBron as one of the greats [in his sport],” said Hamilton.
Cole agrees. “I think he’s the best player that I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I would look at it as, who are the players that changed the way the game is played? Messi is one of those. Pele was absolutely one of those. The great ones change the game or the way it’s thought of in their particular period.”
It’s no wonder then that demand for Messi cards has taken off in North America. There are two Messi sets on the PSA Set Registry: a Rookie Set and a Master Set.
Here’s a rundown of some of Messi’s top rookies, as well as information about some of his other notable cards:
Rookie Cards
2004 Panini Sports Mega Cracks #71
This is the Holy Grail of Messi cards. It was only released in Spain and it showcases an action photo of the Argentinian superstar with the ball at his feet.
“If you’re going to build a collection of Messi cards, that’s the one to start with,” said Hamilton.
This card is not easy to obtain in high-grade. Of the 391 submitted, there have been just 20 PSA 10s.
“It’s just general wear and tear,” said Hendler when asked why this card is elusive in top condition. “Outside of the U.S., collecting is just so different. People generally don’t use sleeves or top loaders, and they don’t automatically think to submit it for professional grading. When we [Americans] pull a card today, we immediately put it in a sleeve and put it in a Card Saver.”
As noted earlier, one PSA 10 sold for $270,600 in a Goldin Auctions sale in August 2021.
2004 Panini Sports Mega Cracks Barca #35, #62 & #89
There are two versions of the 2004 Panini Sports Mega Cracks Barca set – a Spanish and a Catalan version. There are three Messi rookie cards in both sets, each with the same card numbers: #35, #62 and #89.
The Spanish and Catalan cards can be differentiated by the word in the crest in the upper left on the card’s front. “Campeon” is printed in the crest on the Spanish cards and “Campio” is on the Catalan cards.
Based on the PSA Population Report, the Catalan cards appear to be rarer (see accompanying chart).
Card #35, which offers a head-and-shoulders photo of Messi against a blue background, is the most sought-after.
“I think card #35 is the most attractive out of all of the Messi rookies,” said Cole. “It’s a beautiful card and the cards themselves are of premium stock.”
The blue background extends to the edge of this card, so Hamilton notes that these are regularly found with chipping on their edges. One PSA MINT 9 of the Spanish #35 card garnered $2,700 on eBay in late August 2021.
Card #62 offers an action image of Messi with the ball at his feet. This is the least submitted of the three Barca rookies. One of the 72 PSA 10s of the Spanish version sold for $8,300 on eBay in late August 2021.
Card #89 boasts a facsimile autograph and is the most widely submitted. There are 157 PSA 10s of the Spanish card and 40 of the Catalan. One PSA 10 of the Spanish card fetched $7,200 in a Goldin Auctions sale in August 2021, while a Catalan card in the same grade garnered $10,971 on eBay in the same month.
2004 Mundi Cromo Liga #617
This is less coveted than the Panini Sports Mega Cracks rookie (#71), largely due to its lack of brand recognition. But this card does offer one of the best action shots of the Argentinian superstar on a card.
“I would say it’s a step down from the Panini #71,” said Hamilton. “But it’s still up there. It’s a good second to the #71. I’ve owned five of them and I’ve only had one PSA 10.”
Of the 650 submitted, there have been 46 PSA 10s and 190 PSA 9s. One PSA 9 sold for $3,151 on eBay in August 2021.
2004 Panini Stickers Colecciones Este
This unnumbered sticker is one of the rarest releases from Messi’s rookie year, but because it’s a sticker it doesn’t carry the same value as his traditional cards.
“That’s a great debate in the hobby. I’m a hardcore soccer collector, so I love stickers,” said Hendler. “But the average crossover collector from basketball or football would probably prefer the cards.”
On the plus side, this sticker flaunts an action shot and a head-and-shoulders image of Messi on its horizontally aligned front. Its stock, however, is flimsy which makes it difficult to find in pristine form.
Of the 148 evaluated, there are just 10 PSA 10s, 35 PSA 9s and 38 PSA NM-MT 8s. One PSA 8 garnered $3,150 on eBay in August 2021.
Key Non-Rookie Cards
2014 Panini Prizm World Cup #12
In recent years, the first Prizm cards of basketball and football stars have become some of the most widely collected singles in the hobby, so it makes sense that Messi’s first Prizm card has generated considerable interest. Part of a North American World Cup release, it offers a photo of Messi in his Argentina uniform.
The value of this card shot up dramatically during the pandemic.
When asked about the appeal of this card, Hamilton nodded to the brand and its overall quality as a factor. “The pictures on Prizm cards are really nice, and the quality of the cards is high. They grade fairly easily compared to a lot of Messi’s older stuff.”
Of the 5,082 submitted, there have been 1,806 PSA 10s. One PSA 10 sold for $385 on eBay in September 2021.
2014 Panini Prizm World Cup Signatures #S-LME
This is one of Messi’s first certified autograph cards from a North American release. It features a head-and-shoulders shot of Messi. The autograph is on a sticker, which diminishes its value. The base version is not serial-numbered, but it has become very difficult to track down.
There are 23 PSA 10s, one of which sold for $9,840 in a Goldin Auctions sale in August 2021.
2016 Panini Flawless Sole of the Game Autograph Emerald #SS-LM
There were several Messi autographs in the 2016 Panini Flawless issue. Some of the most talked-about are the Sole of the Game inserts which offer an on-card autograph and a piece of one of Messi’s match-worn shoes.
“That’s probably one of his top 10 cards that’s out there,” said Hendler.
There are multiple versions of Messi’s Sole of the Game card. The base card is serial-numbered out of 25, but there are several lower numbered, colored parallels, including ruby (#/15), gold (#/10), emerald (#/5) and black (1-of-1).
The base version example (#/25) submitted received a PSA 10 grade. It later sold for $50,000 on eBay in February 2021.
2017 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League – Right Leg Forward #1
The Topps Chrome brand remains one of the strongest in the hobby, so it’s understandable that Messi’s first Topps Chrome card is one of his most collected mainstream singles. There are several variations, parallels and limited refractors, but the most common card offers an action photo of Messi with his “right leg forward.”
Of the 421 graded of the “Right Leg Forward” base card, there are 241 PSA 10s. One PSA 10 sold for $140 on eBay in September 2021. A PSA 10 refractor of this card fetched $820 in the same month.
2018 Panini National Treasures Century Collection Material Autographs Gold #CC-LM
National Treasures is the most desirable high-end brand among basketball and football collectors, so it was a no-brainer for Panini to introduce it to soccer cards in 2018. This Century Collection card is one of Messi’s most coveted. Numbered out of 5, it flaunts a game-worn jersey patch and a bold blue, on-card autograph.
The only submitted example is a PSA 9.
“The game-worn stuff is so rare for Messi, so if he has a game-worn patch, on-card auto from National Treasures, it will probably do $50,000 plus,” said Hendler.
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If you’re looking to start a collection of Lionel Messi cards, you can visit his Rookie or Master sets on the PSA Set Registry. You can also visit _Card_Facts on the PSA website to view images and find out more information about his cards.