Panini America presented a special cover dedicated to Canada and the United States for the official sticker album of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, at an event held in the United States a few days before the final draw of the tournament. The launch marks the start of the countdown to a historic edition: this year's collection will be the largest Panini has ever printed, in keeping with the expanded format of the World Cup, which will bring together 48 teams. The sticker collection, a tradition spanning over five decades, will once again be part of the World Cup experience for millions of fans and collectors. Since its first appearance in Mexico 1970, the Panini album has become a cultural symbol of football, highlighting the teams and players vying to lift the sport's most prestigious trophy. The revealed cover pays tribute to the two North American countries that will co-host the tournament with Mexico. The design incorporates the visual style of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, the tournament's official emblem, and the World Cup trophy, accompanied by Carlo Parola's iconic bicycle kick, adopted in 1965 as Panini's official logo. In the coming months, a global album cover will be revealed, as well as another special edition dedicated exclusively to Mexico. This launch marks the first time Panini has designed a cover specifically for a World Cup host region. The presentation also coincided with the start of a limited-time pre-sale campaign on Amazon, confirming the anticipation surrounding a World Cup that is shaping up to be the longest and most attended in history. Romy Gai, FIFA's Commercial Director, highlighted the album's symbolic value over the years, emphasizing its ability to unite generations around the enthusiasm of the tournament. She explained that this collaboration will continue to offer a product that brings together families, collectors, and fans of all ages, and that serves as an emblem of World Cup passion.

Mark Warsop, General Manager of Panini America, celebrated the launch of this special edition as the first step in a broad product project for the 2026 World Cup™, which will include stickers, trading cards, and new initiatives aimed at fans. Panini thus reaffirms its role as FIFA's exclusive partner for stickers, physical cards, and digital collectibles.

The presentation took place in New Jersey, the host city for the World Cup final in July of next year. With this announcement, Panini officially kicks off the lead-up to a tournament that promises to break records in reach and audience, and which will once again have millions of fans trading, searching for, and collecting the most coveted stickers in world football.