World Cup rookie cards are some of the most popular options within the hobby. After all, many collectors favor World Cup RCs above all others, and that’s often reflected in high values for mint edition copies. 

For the purposes of this list, we’re solely looking at the best World Cup rookie cards, rather than stickers. 

This means we’ll mostly be focusing on top releases over the past 30 years. Stickers have always been preferred to cards in the past for soccer collectibles, but that’s slowly changed over the past decade or so.  

The Best World Cup Rookie Cards

The World Cup is the biggest tournament in football, featuring most of the best talents around the world. Players are generally in their international kits, which lack the sponsors and distractions seen with club versions. (This is great for card images, as you’ll see below.)

Let’s get started with our list of the 10 best World Cup rookie cards to collect. 

10. 2021-22 Donruss Road to Qatar KABOOM! Erling Haaland #17 (eBay)

First up is a slick insert from 2021-22 Donruss Soccer Road to Qatar. Erling Haaland is currently on course to break numerous goalscoring records with Man City. You can find him in the KABOOM! subset which features the player in his red international kit. 

There aren’t many high-end Haaland Norway options, so this insert definitely stands out from the crowd if you think he’ll continue to bag goals at a rapid rate over the next decade. 

Check prices of 2021-22 Donruss Road to Qatar KABOOM! Erling Haaland cards on eBay

9. 1966 Kunold Verlag Franz Beckenbauer RC (eBay)

The Fußballweltmeisterschaft 1966 Kunold Verlag set is a paper card release produced in West Germany. 

It contains a World Cup RC for ‘Der Kaiser’ Franz Beckenbauer, who appeared in his first tournament in 1966, playing in every match. He lifted the World Cup trophy as captain in 1974, and repeated the feat as a manager in 1990. The reverse contains his name and club side (Bayern). The front features a simple profile shot of the legendary captain. 

Check prices of 1966 Kunold Verlag Franz Beckenbauer RC on eBay

8. 2014 Panini Prizm World Cup Neymar Jr. RC #112 (eBay)

Neymar has scored six World Cup goals in 10 appearances between the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, and the PSG winger is widely seen as one of the best in the world. He’s likely to play in a starring role for Brazil in 2022. 

2014 Panini Prizm World Cup Soccer is where you’ll find his RC, with the signature chromium line including several numbered Prizm parallels, as well as a Neymar auto contained within the set. 

• Parallels: Prizm; Red, White & Blue Power Plaid; Blue & Red Wave; Yellow & Red Pulsar; Blue #/199; Red #/149; Purple #/99; Green Crystal #/25; Gold #/10; Gold Power #/5; Black 1/1
• Exclusives: Blue Pulsar (2014 NSCC Packs – print run of 55), Father’s Day #/7 (Father’s Day Packs), El Samba 1/1 (Online Auction)

Check prices of 2014 Panini Prizm World Cup Neymar Jr. RC on eBay

7. 2018 Panini Prizm World Cup Heung-Min Son RC #187 (eBay)

South Korea earned their only points of the 2018 FIFA World Cup with two goals in injury time against the Germans to send them home as well. Heung Min Son notched two in the group stages, and was easily their standout player throughout the tournament. 

Next up is 2018 Panini Prizm World Cup Soccer. Once again, Prizm parallels are the most valuable options, especially if they’re one of the rarer numbered versions. (they correspond with the border color.)

The player is shown in his South Korea kit, with a grimace of determination on his face. 

• Prizm Parallels: Silver, Hyper, Lazer, Mojo, Red Mosaic, Black/Gold Wave, Green/Orange Wave, Red/Blue Wave, Blue #/199, Red #/149, Light Blue Laser #/125, Purple #/99, Orange #/65, Pink Lazer #/40, Green Crystals #/25, Camo #/20, Gold Lazer #/15, Gold #/10, Pink #/8 (NSCC), Gold Power #/5, Blue Shimmer #/5 (FOTL), Black 1/1. VARIATIONS: Cyrillic Text

Check prices of 2018 Panini World Cup Son Heung Min RC on eBay

6. 1958 Swedish Rekord Journal Pele RC (eBay)

Before there was Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, there was Pelé. The Brazilian maestro is widely seen as the best player ever, and the attention paid to his most important cards shows no signs of letting up.

(This culminated in the $1.3M sale of his 1958 RC in February 2022, which is the first time a soccer card has breached the $1M barrier.) 

A significant Pele rookie card, the 1958 Swedish Rekord Journal is often hand cut, although you can also find a version shared with Manoel Santos. 

A PSA 10 copy of the dual card sold for $60,270 in August 2021.

Check prices of 1958 Swedish Rekord Journal Pele RC on eBay

5. 1997 Upper Deck England David Beckham RC #18 (eBay)

David Beckham is an England legend, captaining the side while making 115 appearances in total. He held the England appearance record for an outfield player until 2016, when it was broken by fellow United star Wayne Rooney. 

His card in the 1997 Upper Deck England collection is another popular option, especially if it’s been slabbed by one of the major card grading companies. Expect to pay roughly $500 for a PSA 10 copy.

It features an action shot of Beckham on international duty, with the ball at his feet. (He’s also wearing his classic number 7 shirt.)

Check prices of 1997 Upper Deck England David Beckham RC on eBay

4. 2021-22 Donruss Road to Qatar Optic Erling Haaland #100 (eBay)

Erling Haaland is yet to make his World Cup Finals debut, and Norway failed to make the cut during qualifying. 

This means that this Optic card could be one of the few World Cup rookie options to feature the forward, especially as he isn’t actually going to be in Qatar. Parallels are where the real value lies, especially the numbered versions limited to 149 or fewer. 

• Parallels: Blue Velocity, Green Velocity, Holo, Red Velocity, Red #/149, Blue #/99, Purple Velocity, Orange Velocity #/49, Black Velocity #/25, Pink Velocity #/25, Gold #/10, Red & Gold Velocity #/8, Gold Vinyl 1/1

Check prices of Donruss Road to Qatar Optic Erling Haaland cards on eBay

3. 2006 Panini World Cup Germany Lionel Messi RC #47 (eBay)

The magisterial Lionel Messi has an army of fans that would go to war if you were to suggest he was anything other than the GOAT. A player with a pull so strong that a number of international Barca fans have jumped ship to join him at PSG, his collectible cards are always going to be of interest to the average investor. 

Collectors are particularly fond of his rookie card found in the 2006 Panini World Cup set. His team lost to Germany in the quarterfinals, as the hosts edged out the Argentinians 4–2 on penalties. 

Regardless, the player is as famous in blue and white as he is in red and blue. Messi finally ticked the last empty box in his glittering career in 2021, leading Argentina past hosts Brazil, 1-0, in the final of the Copa América in Rio de Janeiro. 

The win with Argentina makes his international RC even more valuable in the long run. The same would be true for World Cup glory in Qatar. 

Check prices of 2006 Panini World Cup Lionel Messi RC on eBay

2. 2006 Panini World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo #169 (eBay)

There’s arguably no better soccer investment option than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo is the talismanic captain of Portugal, leading 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 colors. He’s set to captain the side at the 2022 World Cup, and it’s likely to be his last ever tournament. 

Expect to pay roughly $2,000 for a PSA 10 graded copy.

Check prices of 2006 Panini World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo RC on eBay

1. 2018 Panini Prizm World Cup Soccer Kylian Mbappe RC #80 (eBay)

Kylian Mbappe is arguably the most potent striker in world football today, with lightning pace that strikes fear into the hearts of any defender tasked with dealing with him. The 2018 Panini Prizm World Cup RC has to be seen as Kylian Mbappe’s best collectible card overall. 

He became the second teenager, after Pelé, to score in a World Cup Final, and with four goals in the tournament he received the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award.

As with every card from the base set, Prizm parallels are numerous, while there are also Cyrillic versions highlighting hosts Russia to keep an eye out for.

• Prizm Parallels: Silver, Hyper, Lazer, Mojo, Red Mosaic, Black/Gold Wave, Green/Orange Wave, Red/Blue Wave, Blue #/199, Red #/149, Light Blue Laser #/125, Purple #/99, Orange #/65, Pink Lazer #/40, Green Crystals #/25, Camo #/20, Gold Lazer #/15, Gold #/10, Pink #/8 (NSCC), Gold Power #/5, Blue Shimmer #/5 (FOTL), Black 1/1. VARIATIONS: Cyrillic Text

Check prices of 2018 Prizm World Cup Mbappe RC on eBay

World Cup Rookie Cards: Buyers Guide 

We’ve put together a brief buyer’s guide if you’re tempted by any of the World Cup rookie cards to make the list. 

Base copies tend to be more affordable, and the same is true for numerous lower graded World Cup RCs mentioned above. 

Which World Cup rookie card is best overall? It depends. Take the 2006 cards like Messi and Ronaldo. They don’t need a serial number or parallels to draw a serious price tag. The same can’t be said for modern World Cup sets, even if players like Mbappe and Haaland are highly impressive. 

For now, we’d stick with the current duo of GOATs, rather than the next generation of otherworldly talents. You could also consider players like Pele, who will always be seen as a legend within the sport. 

World Cup Rookie Cards: Final Thoughts 

I’ll admit it. Cards are better than stickers. They’re sturdier, and tend to be larger. Premium cards are made of superior materials, and they’re more fun to look at. They also fit graded slabs more easily. 

The World Cup tournament has massive mainstream appeal, leading to higher values and lots of new collectors within the hobby. There’s no better place to start than with some of the best ever World Cup rookie cards ever produced.