The biggest event in soccer has officially kicked off. The 2022 FIFA World Cup features the best athletes in the world duking it out for their respective nations. We’ve seen the excitement for the World Cup already impact The Hobby, as many collectors are investing in soccer’s premier stars. And there’s one name you cannot miss.
Aside from his status as one of the most popular individuals on Earth, Cristiano Ronaldo is also an amazing soccer player. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has proved time and time again that he’s one of the best to ever grace the pitch. This year, he’s looking to add another accolade to his resumé: FIFA World Cup champion.
This means that now is a great opportunity to pick up some Cristiano Ronaldo trading cards to add to your collection, and eBay—the original marketplace for collectibles—has the most unique, rare and hard-to-find inventory out there. With more than two decades of expertise, it’s no doubt that eBay has the cred to deliver a full suite of physical and digital capabilities at scale. From Authenticity Guarantee to Price Guide, Collection, the eBay vault and more, eBay is the ultimate destination for trading card collectors and enthusiasts alike.
The eBay vault—a 24/7 secure facility and digital marketplace for trading card collectors with no sales tax, storage or selling fees—is the premier service in card security. Card collectors, investors and hobbyists are using the eBay vault to securely buy, sell, trade, store and invest in trading cards more seamlessly than ever before. The eBay vault enters the market as enthusiasts are increasingly investing differently and looking at collectible items—like Cristiano Ronaldo cards—as alternative assets. Single, graded trading cards and graded, autograph, relic, and patch cards purchased for $250+ on eBay in the US are now eligible for the eBay vault.
With soccer’s biggest stage now underway, it’s only fitting that we highlight some potential Ronaldo cards to add to your collection in the eBay vault. We aimed to find a wide variety of slabs for all price points. Without further ado, let’s dive right in!
If you’re a high-end soccer collector, this card is like a Rolex: It’s a staple in the soccer-collecting community. The 2002-03 Panini Mega Craques is an incredibly iconic card that’s reached highs of over $300,000. Many of the players in Qatar this year have big card sales and a bright future ahead, but few will reach the level that Ronaldo has in popular culture.
When two or more iconic players are paired together on a card, it usually works out pretty well. Much like the Magic Johnson/Larry Bird rookie card, this gem features two longtime rivals and competitors in their national uniforms. The base copies can be picked up for around $400 as a PSA 9, but some numbered parallels can reach the five-figure range. Regardless, this card absolutely deserves a spot in anyone’s collection inside the eBay vault.
As we mentioned earlier, Ronaldo is a busy guy. He has dozens of endorsements and over 500 million Instagram followers, so he doesn’t always have time to sign on-card autographs. This is especially true when players are located overseas or as popular as CR7. So, when you see a beautiful signature like the one above, you know it’s a lock for your collection in the eBay vault.
On a similar note, the Kaboom! case hit is just as sought-after in The Hobby. Ronaldo’s 2017 Kaboom! is his first and therefore the most valuable, but this 2018 copy can usually be picked up for a lower price. No matter which year you pick, this card adds pizzazz to any eBay vaulted collection, and it’s one that collectors can rally around.
2017 Topps Chrome UEFA is an influential set all around; it brought Topps back on the soccer scene, and it’s highlighted by rookies of Christian Pulisic and Kylian Mbappé. The product also included Ronaldo’s first Topps Chrome card, which has become increasingly popular in recent years. This refractor PSA 10 can be picked up for $250-$300 all day, so it checks all the boxes for any collection in the eBay vault.
The “National Landmarks” insert from the 2018 Prizm World Cup is very similar to the “Downtown” insert in Panini basketball and football products. It highlights all the charm of Cristiano’s home country of Portugal—including views of Lisbon and other Portuguese landmarks—for a very aesthetically pleasing slab that deserves to be vaulted and secured with eBay.
This is young Ronaldo’s first appearance on a card, showcasing the striker from his days with Sporting Lisbon. The BGS 9 copy shown above recently sold for $5,000, but copies in lower grades can be acquired for much cheaper. Also, this slab is preferred by some hobbyists where it is CR7’s first card. There will still be a market for this sticker long after he hangs up the cleats.
While #8 doesn’t have the on-card allure of the Impeccable auto we showed earlier, it’s still a stunning piece of cardboard. This Mosaic Silver parallel auto from 2020 can be picked up for around $1,500, which is a tenth of the Impeccable’s value as a PSA 10. It’s hard to get a GOAT’s autograph for that price in any other sport, so this one seems like a no-brainer to us.
There’s no modern soccer set quite as revered as the 2014 Prizm World Cup. The parallel cards, such as this Silver Prizm, still hold up as some of the best-looking cards on the market. If you want to add a nice Ronaldo pickup in his Portugal kit, this one may be for you.
Finally, we have a young Ronaldo in his Manchester United jersey for Upper Deck. While this doesn’t have as much value as the aforementioned Panini Mega Cracks, it’s still a $2,500 PSA 10 any day of the week. It also possesses a sleek and timeless design, so this one will hold up well in your eBay vaulted collection.
Will you be adding any Cristiano Ronaldo cards or perhaps trading cards from other top stars in this year’s World Cup tournament to your collection in the eBay vault? Let us know @CardTalkPod on Instagram and Twitter, and @ebaycollectibles on Instagram as well!
