Anyone else getting weirdly emotional about doing a Panini album for the World Cup ?

Posted by Quirky_Commission465@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 16 comments

Just realized the World Cup is 4 weeks out and the Panini sticker album is dropping again. I haven't done one since 98, when my dad and I sat at the kitchen table swapping doubles for hours and I got Maradona on the second pack ahah

I'm not even that into football anymore. But something about the idea of doing one with my kids this summer is hitting me hard. I keep going back and forth between "this is amazing, let's go full ritual" and "I'm 42 and this is ridiculous."

I will probably do it again, but I wanted to open the discussion

Those of you who did the Panini thing as a kid, did you ever come back to it as an adult, for a World Cup or a Euro? Was it as good as you remembered, or did it feel like you were chasing something that didn't come back? If you did, did you do it solo, with kids, in a swap group with friends? What made the ritual stick for you?

[-]

DeCoyAbLe@reddit

I’m not so sure kids are in to stickers/sport cards like we were back in the day.

[-]

alr12345678@reddit

my kid is doing it! he's mad that all the stickers were sold out quickly from the local stores (I suspect resellers got to them first)

[-]

Phobos1982@reddit

What?

[-]

TheJokersChild@reddit

I guess Panini is like Topps or Fleer cards for soccer. I thought it was was a sandwich.

[-]

myrdraal2001@reddit

I don't even know where to buy them.

[-]

bluealien78@reddit

Amazon has albums and sticker packs. Dick’s Sporting Goods and Target will carry sticker packs for the USA market.

[-]

myrdraal2001@reddit

I didn't know that Dicks or Target had them. Thank you.

[-]

bluealien78@reddit

I don’t think they’re in stock yet, but they will be by the time the WC kicks off

[-]

Ok-Lingonberry-8261@reddit

Honestly no. I was forced to play soccer in middle school and always resented it.

24 Hours of Nürburgring this weekend–now THAT'S my jam.

[-]

bluealien78@reddit

Omg I haven’t done a panini sticker album since probably 1990. I’ll be doing one for the World Cup, and I will feel every feeling.

(Got got got got swap swap got got need need swap got…)

[-]

rudolf_the_red@reddit

this is my sons fourth album and i'm very excited about it. we both are.

i especially enjoy how the internet has made completion a possibility.

i dislike what fifa has become but the spirit of the world cup still gets me. the sticker album is just one part of it.

[-]

Quirky_Commission465@reddit (OP)

Four albums is impressive. What does the rest of the ritual look like for you two beyond the stickers? Predictions, watching specific matches together, anything you’ve added over the tournaments?

[-]

rudolf_the_red@reddit

at this point we have favorite teams, it's different for both of us with one or two shared. we've handled the four year disappointment where our teams did not qualify (poland for him. cameroon for me. again.)

we will watch every match we can and always have. the 'big' games we'll go to a bar in town and watch them. we have a pretty hip community so some pubs will open the doors just for matches and families will attend.

i try to keep the focus on the game and how it can exemplify the commonality between people.

but i also point out inspiring moments like how senegal beat hosts france on 2002 opener after being a french colony. shit like that adds to the magnitude of the game for us.

[-]

CitizenChatt@reddit

Raise your hand if you were in Rome for the final back in 1990

🇩🇪 vs 🇦🇷

[-]

TwpMun@reddit

"I'm 42 and this is ridiculous."

I'm 46 don't have kids and i'm doing it

[-]

Quirky_Commission465@reddit (OP)

Love it