We need to talk about Kevin.
Kevin De Bruyne is one of the most influential midfielders the Premier League has ever seen. He has been named in the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season and the IFFHS Men’s World Team four times each.
Unable to make it into the first XI at Chelsea as a youth, he returned after a stint in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg to join Manchester City for a reported club-record fee of £55 million in 2015.
KDB has cemented himself as one of the best players in the world. We’ve taken the time to bring you a roundup with some of his very best cards and stickers.
The Best Kevin De Bruyne Cards
Whether it be RCs or valuable inserts, there’s something to suit almost every card collector interested in KDB’s best options.
4. 2011 Panini Foot Kevin De Bruyne #95 (eBay)
Take the 2011 Panini Foot Belgium sticker set, containing an image of the midfielder while he was still a rookie with Genk. It’s a basic profile shot, with a generic background that has mostly been blanked out.
Despite being a plain option compared to the more shiny modern releases seen below, there is always a solid market for the earliest collectibles to feature a player.
As an obscure set, there are hardly any graded versions on the market, and only three have received an elusive PSA 10 grade.
3. 2010 Panini Foot Kevin De Bruyne RC #153 (eBay)
De Bruyne made his first team debut for Genk in a 3–0 defeat at Charleroi on 9 May 2009.
He was included in the 2010 Panini Foot sticker set as it was his breakthrough season, having established himself as a starter in the side as they cruised to the league title.
His rookie sticker doesn’t feature the best image, with the player red-faced as he dribbles along the field. Regardless, it’s especially rare, and graded copies sell for a premium.
2. 2020-21 Panini Prizm Kaboom! Kevin De Bruyne #11 (eBay)
For a more recent option, the 2020 Panini Prizm Kaboom! subset is insanely popular with high-end card collectors.
As you can see from the image, it’s meant to mimic a comic book cell, with a large ‘Kaboom!’ found behind the shot of De Bruyne.
He’s also wearing his Manchester City kit, which is notable because it’s the club where the midfielder has spent the majority of his career.
Found in 2020-21 Panini Prizm Premier League Soccer, pristine copies are even more valuable than the RC seen above.
1. 2018 Panini Prizm World Cup National Landmarks Kevin De Bruyne #NL-3 (eBay)
The 2018 Panini World Cup set is where you’ll find an eye-catching insert card which clinches the top spot.
(De Bruyne is an integral part of Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’, acting as the attacking fulcrum that keeps the team ticking at all times.)
The National Landmarks subset has one of the best backgrounds in recent memory, as the illustrated insert combines top players with famous locations from their country.
It was the debut release of the subset in FIFA products, while there’s also a trio of rare numbered parallels. In fact, even the base version is reasonably rare as National Landmarks cards only dropped at a rate of one per box.
- Parallels: Mojo #/25, Gold Power #/5, Scope 1/1
Kevin De Bruyne Cards: Buyers Guide
We’ve put together a brief guide looking at the current state of the Kevin De Bruyne card market. Do we think he’s a solid investment option? In a word, yes.
You’ll be able to find cheaper numbered parallels and various collectible De Bruyne cards at an affordable price, although the same can’t be said for the cards that made it onto this list.
An alternative would be to look out for ungraded copies of the 2011 card mentioned above. The 2011-12 Panini UEFA Champions League Sticker #338 is another decent option.
Of the four mentioned above, we’d opt for the National Landmarks card if we could only pick one. Collectors love World Cup merch, while it’s one of the more interesting cards to feature the player. It’s exceptionally rare, and there’s a proven aftermarket that isn’t likely to go anywhere.
That’s closely followed by the 2010 RC, depending on the grade it has received.
Kevin De Bruyne Cards: Buying/Selling Advice
De Bruyne is one of the most respected players in world football. There’s no sign of his imperious powers waning as he turns 30. He clearly takes care of himself, and loves the game.
One slight drawback would be the fact that he plays for Man City, who lag behind traditional sides in terms of popularity and the size of their international fan base.
Then there’s the fact that for all of Belgium’s talent, the Golden Generation have won nothing so far.
However, De Bruyne still has time to win an elusive Champions League title with City. The 2022 World Cup could be Belgium’s opportunity to shine.
In any case, it would be a bonus for KDB card collectors, but it shouldn’t stop the player from being seen as a viable long-term investment option.