The 2010 World Cup took place in South Africa, and made for a memorable tournament as Spain were the deserved winners. 

Panini released their usual range of accompanying sticker sets, celebrating the teams and the players with 641 to collect in total. 

They opted for a simple design, using basic profile photos for each player. 

Here are the best options from the 2010 World Cup set, along with buying/selling advice for each one.

The Best 2010 World Cup Stickers 

Anyone with a passing interest in football is likely to recognise the majority of names that make the list. Let’s list the best options for the – official sticker collection of 2010 Panini South Africa: 

5. 2010 Panini World Cup Stickers Luis Suarez #84 (eBay)

Take Luis Suarez, who infamously announced himself to the world in the 2010 tournament. He knocked out Ghana after illegally palming Dominic Adiyiah’s header away from goal in shocking scenes. 

More recently, the former Barca/Liverpool forward joined Atletico Madrid, guiding them to an improbable league title. 

One of the most prolific forwards in football, 2010 was Suarez’s first World Cup, with Uruguay coming fourth. He scored six goals in three appearances. 

4. 2010 Panini World Cup Stickers David Beckham #190 (eBay)

A star player from England’s golden generation, David Beckham is one of the most recognisable players on the planet. 

His England side were never able to capitalise on their talents, instead being dumped out by Germany in the Round of 16 at the 2010 tournament. 

Beckham has long since retired, but he still has 68.4m followers on Instagram. That includes numerous fans who are always looking out for graded merch.

3. 2010 Panini World Cup Sticker Cristiano Ronaldo #559 (eBay)

Over a decade ago, Cristiano Ronaldo was playing for Real Madrid, and scored a ridiculous 40 league goals in just 34 La Liga games. 

CR7 is still going strong, having joined Manchester United again in the recent transfer window. 

His Portugal side lost to eventual winners Spain in 2010, but it’s still another solid collectible from the set. (We’re fans of nearly every Ronaldo collectible!)

2. 2010 Panini World Cup Sticker Lionel Messi #122 (eBay)

Ronaldo’s eternal rival Lionel Messi was already starring for Barcelona by 2010, as they beat Real Madrid to a league title under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola. 

Messi failed to carry that form into the World Cup, saying that the sound of vuvuzelas hampered communication among players on the pitch. Boss Diego Maradona blamed the Jabulani ball made for the tournament. 

In any case, he scored no goals, and made only one assist in five games, which is shocking given his talent.

1. 2010 Panini World Cup Sticker Ronaldinho #500 (eBay)

The top spot on this list is reserved for none other than Ronaldinho.

The Brazilian samba star was one of the faces of world football at the time, with unmatched skill as he played with a trademark smile at all times. 

In more recent years, Ronaldinho spent a month in jail, and four months under house arrest at a luxury hotel in Paraguay after he tried to enter the country with a forged passport in 2020.

He retired in 2018, although he hadn’t played for a professional team since leaving Fluminense in 2015.

2010 World Cup Stickers: Buyers Guide 

2010 was a long time ago, even if it only feels like yesterday for some supporters. 

Ungraded versions of the 2010 World Cup Stickers are cheap, but we’d stick to slabbed copies if possible as they’re far more likely to retain value in the long run. 

Lower grades of every card listed above are reasonably affordable. The same goes for most options from 2010, 2014, and 2018 World Cup tournaments. As such, it’s worth taking a look at current sale prices for any players you’re interested in.

As a long term investment, either the Messi, Ronaldo, or Ronaldinho stickers are probably the best if you’re solely aiming for profit. 

Remember, Messi, Ronaldo and Suarez have also yet to retire, and their collectibles should receive a bump when they inevitably do so. 

2010 World Cup Stickers: Buying/Selling Advice 

2010 was a good tournament, with players that are fondly remembered in the present. 

Messi Ronaldo, and Suarez might still be playing to a high level, but there’s no escaping the fact that they’re getting older, and won’t last forever. 

It’s likely that the prices of their older collectibles will begin to pick up over the next decade or so. It’s tough to think of many cheaper options when looking at graded copies. 

They might not be rare enough for some experienced collectors. We still think it’s a great entry-level investment that you’re extremely unlikely to lose money on.

Of course, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were always going to make the list, with the likes of Fernando Torres narrowly missing out. The Panini South Africa sticker collection can typically be found for low prices. 

For a more recent option, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 sticker set is far cheaper, and comes with various parallels. Panini 2014 boxes are another great place to look.