Creators love collectibles, so TikTok is launching World Cup trading cards

As if the 2026 FIFA World Cup needed more hype, TikTok is adding some limited-edition collectibles to the mix. In partnership with 65-year-old trading card company Panini, TikTok is issuing a set of World Cup trading cards that will feature the nations, players, and legends who define the culture of international soccer.

According to a Newsroom post, the trading cards will live within the “Fan Experience Hub” that serves as the epicenter of TikTok’s World Cup coverage. In total, the set includes three cards for each of the 48 World Cup participants, for a total of 144 cards. Each nation will have a “Country Emblem,” a card that represents a current “Star Player,” and an “Icon Card” that depicts a legendary football from that nation’s history.

So how do TikTok users get these cards? The short answer is “in-app activity.” By following certain accounts or commenting on posts, users will unlock cards. Duplicates can be traded to other accounts. To quote TikTok: “The more cards fans collect, the more rewards they will unlock.”

“Panini has shaped soccer collecting culture for generations, and this partnership brings that tradition to a social platform for the first time,” said TikTok Global Head of Sport Rollo Goldstaub

in a statement. “Together, we’re giving fans something they already love, collecting and supporting their teams, and making it feel native to TikTok by creating moments that deepen connection and drive fandom.”

TikTok is currently hosting a vast array of World Cup-themed activations. A squad of Creator Correspondents is covering the tournament on TikTok’s behalf, offering videos that link soccer to national identity and worldwide culture.

So why add digital trading cards to the equation? Whatnot‘s sales figures from 2025 provide a partial answer. The live-streaming auction platform generated $8 billion of gross merchandise value from live sales last year, and trading cards were its biggest category. As TikTok looks to add to a live shopping economy that already thousands of jobs, it is debuting collectibles that should be in high demand (especially the cards that have Messi and Ronaldo’s faces on them).

The concept of digital collectibles that have intrinsic value may remind you of a certain blockchain fad from a few years ago, but TikTok stressed to Social Media Today that its World Cup cards are not NFTs. Instead, this partnership brings a legacy trading card company into the social media age while adding fuel to the World Cup fire that burning across North America this June and July.