January 2024 Update: Midway through refreshing content and checking out the card lists, there’s nothing of note to report for Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s now scoring goals at an incredible rate in Saudi Arabia, and has broken multiple records over the last 12 months. Values for Cristiano Ronaldo rookie cards have also continued to rise over the past few years.
There’s arguably no better soccer investment than Cristiano Ronaldo cards.
The Portugal captain holds the records for most goals and assists in the Champions League, most goals in the European Championship, and the most international goals.
Here’s a list with five of the very best C. Ronaldo RCs, along with buying/selling advice for collectors and investors. As you might have guessed, CR7 rookie cards are the most valuable options overall.
The Best Cristiano Ronaldo Rookie Cards
The majority of Ronaldo’s key cards miss out on later stints with Real Madrid and Juventus respectively. We’ll start with one released during his time with Los Blancos.
5. 2014 Panini Prizm World Cup Matchups Cristiano Ronaldo Lionel Messi #19 (eBay)
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the biggest stars in world football along with Lionel Messi.
The only non-RC to make the list, the 2014 Panini Prizm World Cup set features both rivals in a full-bleed image. It earns bonus points for including them in their international kits.
The combination of two GOAT contenders makes it a collectible which can make real money in the future.
Numbered parallels are rarely seen at auction.
2014 World Cup Matchups Prizm Parallels: Prizm, Red White & Blue Power Plaid, Blue & Red Blue Wave, Yellow & Red Pulsar, Blue #/199, Red #/149, Purple #/99, Green Crystal #/25, Gold #/10, Gold Power #/5, Black 1/1
4. 2006 Panini World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo #169 (eBay)
Ronaldo is the talismanic captain of Portugal. He led the team to a Euro 2016 victory, as well as winning the 2018-19 Nations League.
Any image of the player in a Portugal kit is worth decent money, especially if you’re looking at vintage World Cup branded cards like this one.
The 2006 World Cup was Ronaldo’s first ever tournament, and collectors tend to prefer an RC branded in international colours.
3. 2003-04 Upper Deck Manchester United Cristiano Ronaldo #13,14,15 (eBay)
Ronaldo joined Manchester United at the start of the 2003-04 season. The transfer fee of £12.24 million made him, at the time, the most expensive teenager in English football history.
In 2003-04, Upper Deck released a Manchester United themed set with a trio of Ronaldo base cards contained within.
Numbered #13,14, and 15, there are also Black parallels, and Gold parallels limited to the player’s shirt number.
They’re still seen as RCs by many collectors. They’re likely to shoot up in value as he joined the club again this season after over a decade away. He’s also remembered fondly for his time spent under Alex Ferguson, and was highly impressive in the UEFA Champions League.
2. 2002-03 Panini Stickers Cristiano Ronaldo #306 (eBay)
The 2002-03 Panini Stickers set is where you’ll find an early Ronaldo release. It has a traditional profile shot of the player. There’s a familiar determined expression etched on his face.
Ronaldo made his debut for Sporting CP at the age of 18, winning the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.
As a sticker, there aren’t many copies available today. Even fewer will earn a high grade from the likes of PSA or BGS.
It’s not as popular as the Mega Craques seen below, but it’s still another Ronaldo RC that will sell for a large sum.
1. 2002-03 Panini Mega Craques Cristiano Ronaldo RC #137 (eBay)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s first ever card comes from his time spent at Sporting Clube de Portugal.
The 2002-03 Panini Mega Craques features a large, full-bleed action shot of the player with the ball at his feet. It is fair considering he was best known for his dribbling and fluid skills during his formative years.
It’s seen as Ronaldo’s ‘true’ rookie card. That is reflected by the high asking prices for ungraded copies, as well as PSA 10s.
If you can only have one Ronaldo rookie card and money is no object, this is a great choice. A recent sale in June 2024 saw a PSA 8 copy go for a flat $5,200 via eBay.
Cristiano Ronaldo Rookie Cards: Buyers Guide
We’d snap up any pristine Ronaldo cards you find. Be aware that you’re likely to face stiff competition on auction sites like eBay.
The ‘best’ cheap Ronaldo cards are going to be ungraded, if you have the time and patience to send them off for yourself. Alternatively, we’d look at any PSA 10 copies within your price range, as long as you avoid base Match Attax cards from past years.
The 2002-03 Panini Mega Craques has to be our top pick, although the 2006 World Cup RC is another great looking option. In truth, any of the cards we’ve mentioned above should be seen as viable options, although they’re expensive. Base copies are often worthless in modern soccer, but the opposite is true for Ronaldo. Prices for the best Ronaldo cards are down from the highs seen in 2021, but still sell for significant amounts:
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the safer options within the hobby, but their soccer cards do come with a serious price tag.
Cristiano Ronaldo Rookie Cards: Buying/Selling Advice
Cristiano Ronaldo is supremely adaptable, although he has started to show signs of slowing down. Time waits for no man, and his career will come to an end one day. It’s a far cry from his time at Real Madrid, even if it does look like he will reach 1,000 career goals.
Retirement will be sooner than we all expect, which is why collectors are fighting for Cristiano Ronaldo cards before all we have left are nostalgia and memories. The best Cristiano Ronaldo rookie card has to be the 2002-03 Panini Mega Craques.
As with any legend, expect prices to rise rapidly over the next decade or so. We’d hold onto any RCs in the meantime, especially if you’re looking for long-term investment options that you won’t have to worry about. Autograph cards are also going to be popular, especially if it’s a Cristiano Ronaldo PSA graded version. It’s hard to do much better in terms of soccer players, even when compared to the likes of Erling Haaland.
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