Soccer Rookie Tickets are some of the more popular early options released in recent seasons. Found in Panini Chronicles Soccer sets since 2019/20, the familiar design has been a staple of other sports like American football for years. Here are some of the top soccer Rookie Tickets to chase. 

If you’re looking at early options for soccer players from recent seasons, Rookie Tickets are a great place to start. It’s a well established brand and design, with a premium Cracked Ice parallel which always tends to be one of the more valuable versions on offer. 

We’ll take you through 10 of the best soccer Rookie Tickets, featuring some of the best young stars within the sport.

The Best Soccer Rookie Tickets

You’ll be able to find soccer Rookie Tickets in the following sets: 

• 2019-20 Panini Chronicles Soccer
• 2020-21 Panini Chronicles Soccer
• 2021-22 Panini Chronicles Soccer

We used the following criteria to come up with this list of the best soccer Rookie Tickets:

• Value 
• The player’s reputation 
• Form over the past 12 months 
• Potential to win trophies in the future 

10. 2020-21 Chronicles Rookie Ticket Riqui Puig RC #7 (eBay)

We begin the list with Riqui Puig. A La Liga winner with Barcelona, he has drawn comparisons with Andrés Iniesta thanks to his passing ability. Puig struggled for playing time in Spain, and moved to the LA Galaxy in 2022. He’s clearly one of the best players in MLS, and could yet make a return to Europe. 

Puig’s Rookie Ticket is found in 2020-21 Panini Chronicles Soccer. 

• Parallels: Blue Shimmer Asia, Gold Power NA, Green Wave EU, Purple Mojo, Silver, Silver Circles, Blue #/49, Orange Ice #/23, Pink Wave FOTL #/19, Blue Mojo #/16, Gold #/10, Green #/5, Black 1/1, Black Circles 1/1

Check prices of 2020-21 Contenders Rookie Ticket Riqui Puig RC on eBay

9. 2019-20 Chronicles Rookie Ticket Rafael Leao RC #RT38 (eBay)

Refael Leao was a key star in the 2022 World Cup for Portugal, and looks to be a major talent after making the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or. He won Serie A with AC Milan in 2021/22, although his current deal with the side expires in 2024. 

As his Rookie Ticket is found in 2019-20 Panini Chronicles Soccer, you’ll have a choice between base copies, red unnumbered parallels, and ultra-rare Cracked Ice versions. 

• Parallels: Red, Cracked Ice #/23

Check prices of 2020-21 Contenders Rookie Ticket Rafael Leao RC on eBay

8. 2019-20 Chronicles Rookie Ticket Nicolo Zaniolo RC #RT40 (eBay) 

AS Roma star Nicolò Zaniolo is next up. His Rookie Ticket is found in 2019-20 Panini Chronicles Soccer, so parallels are limited. A versatile attacking midfielder, Zaniolo seems destined to be a world class player. He has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Spurs in recent weeks, and his current contract expires at the end of the 2022/23 season. 

• Parallels: Red, Cracked Ice #/23

Check prices of 2019-20 Contenders Rookie Ticket Nicolo Zaniolo RC on eBay

7. 2019-20 Chronicles Rookie Ticket Frankie De Jong RC #RT3 (eBay)

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong has been a mainstay in the side since joining from Ajax in 2019. Another of the talented rookie class found in 2019-20 Panini Chronicles Soccer, you’ll see an example of the Cracked Ice parallel in the image above. 

One slight drawback is that since De Jong has been with Barca, the team has struggled to compete with Real Madrid. That’s not his fault, but it does impact his Rookie Ticket values. 

• Parallels: Red, Cracked Ice #/23

Check prices of 2019-20 Contenders Rookie Ticket Frankie De Jong RC on eBay

6. 2021-22 Chronicles Rookie Ticket Gabriel Martinelli RC #293 (eBay) 

Brazil and Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli was one of the more hyped rookies within the game in 2021/22, and for good reason. His Rookie Ticket is found in 2021-22 Panini Chronicles Soccer, and comes with a variety of colored parallels to chase. I’m not the biggest fan of the new RT designs, with a Pink Wave parallel shown above. 

• Parallels: Purple Mojo, Silver, Blue #/49, Orange Ice #/23, Pink Wave FOTL #/19, Blue Mojo #/16, Gold #/10, Green #/5, Black 1/1

Check prices of 2021-22 Contenders Rookie Ticket Gabriel Martinelli RC on eBay

5. 2020-21 Chronicles Rookie Ticket Federico Valverde RC #1 (eBay) 

Federico Valverde has cemented his spot in the Real Madrid midfield, and has already won the Champions League, as well as picking up two La Liga titles with the side. One of the more recent Rookie Tickets to make the list, there’s a rainbow of colored parallels to look for. 

• Parallels: Blue Shimmer Asia, Gold Power NA, Green Wave EU, Purple Mojo, Silver, Silver Circles, Blue #/49, Orange Ice #/23, Pink Wave FOTL #/19, Blue Mojo #/16, Gold #/10, Green #/5, Black 1/1, Black Circles 1/1

Check prices of 2020-21 Contenders Rookie Ticket Federico Valverde RC on eBay

4. 2019-20 Chronicles Rookie Ticket Declan Rice RC #RT28 (eBay) 

Declan Rice is one of the more valuable young defensive midfielders on the planet. Currently starring for West Ham and England, it looks increasingly likely that he’ll move to a top five club at some point in the future. Expect to pay top dollar for numbered parallels.  

• Parallels: Red, Cracked Ice #/23

Check prices of 2019-20 Contenders Rookie Ticket Declan Rice RC on eBay

3. 2019-20 Chronicles Rookie Ticket Mason Mount RC #18 (eBay) 

Mason Mount is the centrepiece of Chelsea’s midfield, and one of the more exciting young players in the Premier League. He’s also part of a strong generation of England stars, who will be hoping to compete for international honours over the next decade. His Rookie Ticket is located in 2019-20 Panini Chronicles Soccer. 

• Parallels: Red, Cracked Ice #/23

Check prices of 2019-20 Contenders Rookie Ticket Mason Mount RC on eBay

2. 2019-20 Chronicles Rookie Ticket Ansu Fati RC #RT4 (eBay) 

Spain international Ansu Fati is back in action for Barcelona, and has been impressive as he continues on his road to recovery. However, minutes have been limited for both club and country, even as he made his World Cup debut in the final game of Spain’s 2022 group stage fixtures, in the 2-1 defeat against Japan. Check out the Cracked Ice parallel seen above. 

• Parallels: Red, Cracked Ice #/23

Check prices of 2019-20 Contenders Rookie Ticket Ansu Fati RC on eBay

1. 2019-20 Chronicles Rookie Ticket Dusan Vlahovic RC #31 (eBay) 

Serbian international striker Dušan Vlahović was awarded Serie A Best Young Player in 2020–21, having scored 21 league goals. The Juve striker is reportedly wanted by multiple Premier League clubs, including the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United. 

His Rookie Ticket is found in 2019-20 Chronicles, and has to be seen as one of the most important options from the collection. 

• Parallels: Red, Cracked Ice #/23

Check prices of 2019-20 Contenders Rookie Ticket Dusan Vlahovic RC on eBay

Chronicles Soccer Rookie Tickets: Are They Worth The Hype?

Rookie Tickets use some of the most popular designs, while Cracked Ice parallels are sure to sell for major money. It also helps that they focus on some of the best young talent within the game, from multiple leagues and nationalities. For example, Reece James is a great player with a RT that could easily have made the list, but competition is just too strong. 

Soccer Rookie Tickets: Final Thoughts 

Soccer Rookie Tickets are some of the more exciting cards found in Panini Chronicles sets, especially if you manage to hit a numbered parallel. I’m not a fan of the newer designs compared to the earlier cards, but it hasn’t had an impact on their overall values.