Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe entertained the world with their duel in the 2022 World Cup Final Sunday and it seems plenty of fans and collectors wanted a little piece of the history.
Sales and searches for cards of the two international soccer superstars skyrocketed during and after the match.
eBay says sales of Messi collectibles on eBay increased nearly 500% from Saturday to Sunday while Mbappe collectible sales on eBay increased over 300%.
Buyers on eBay’s U.S.site scooped up 3,081 lots of Messi cards between Sunday morning and early Monday, to the tune of over $320,000. Even in a losing cause, there were 1,164 Mbappe cards sold in a little over 24 hours for over $123,000.
Searches on the PWCC Marketplace platform for Messi on Sunday rose 345 percent higher than his daily search baseline average. Mbappe rose 363 percent over his average daily search volume.
“Messi was searched nearly three times more than Michael Jordan, more than four times more than LeBron James, and more than five times more than Tom Brady,” explained Jesse Craig, Vice President of Sales at PWCC Marketplace. “Messi gilded his career with this victory and demand for his cards clearly rose in concert with the achievement. The numbers highlight how important an exciting game is for demand in player assets.”
The World Cup Final happened just ahead of the company’s weekly auction that closes each Sunday and sales for both stars were strong. Out of 104 Messi cards on offer with internal.
PWCC Marketplace hosts a Weekly Auction that closes each Sunday and sales data reinforces the rise in demand for both stars. Out of 104 Messi assets on offer with internal PWCC valuations for insurance purposes, prices finished an average 93 percent higher than the assigned value. Of the 65 Mbappe assets on offer with valuations, prices finished an average 17 percent higher.
A 2017 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League Gold Refractor Messi numbered ot 50 and graded PSA 10 led the way at $14,400.
On eBay Sunday, the highest priced sale was for a 2020 Leaf Superlative card featuring game-worn jersey patches and autographs of Messi and legendary superstar Pele that went for $10,500.
A 2004-05 Panini Megacracks Messi rookie graded PSA 8 was snapped up for $7,000. A 2019 Panini Playmakers Messi with an on-card autograph, sold for $6,900 while a 2022 National Treasures World Cup Messi patch auto (#23/25) sold for $5,000.
One eBay buyer looked to the bring future of Mbappe, plunking down $8,500 for a 2017 Topps Chrome Blue Refractor rookie numbered to 150 while two 2022 Prizm World Cup Color Wheel PSA 10s of Mbappe each sold for $4,050.
The auction market for both players heated up quickly, with the majority of the most watched soccer cards on eBay made up of Messi and Mbappe cards. As of Monday afternoon, 23 of the top 24 most watched auctions featured one or the other.
Among the cards being offered was the Messi auto from the 2022 National Sports Collectors Convention black boxes pulled by someone who had a ticket to Panini’s VIP party.
After being listed over the weekend, bidding for the 1/1 card had already climbed past $8,000.
Sales of the two superstars weren’t the only movers during and after the World Cup. Sales for Angel Di Maria collectibles on eBay increased nearly 1075% while sales of Emiliano Martinez items increased nearly 600%.
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