Row over shortage of Panini World Cup stickers forces government intervention in Argentina

World Cup sticker collectors have been left fuming in Argentina over a perceived lack of trading cards in the country, leading to intervention from the government.

With the football tournament fewer than two months away, collection of stickers for the competition is at peak demand across the globe as fans desperately seek their favourite players as well as desires to complete a full album.

But passion for the collection has hit fever pitch in Argentina where a huge demand for the stickers has led to the government having to mediate between news stands and the collection’s producer Panini due to a perceived shortage.

News stands have hit out at Panini, accusing them of profiting from other areas of sales including supermarkets, gas stations and even online at their expense, leaving them unable to order new packets to sell.

This has led to local vendors selling out their supply of the hugely popular collection in a matter of hours and having to deal with angry customers fuming over a lack of packs available.

Some shop keepers have even reported that angry fans have ‘tried to smash up their kiosks’ in utter frustration at not being able to purchase stickers. 

The packs contain five unknown stickers, with each of the 32 countries having 20 stickers, mainly featuring players, to produce an album of nearly 700 stickers in total. In the UK, packs sell for around 90p each.

But collectors have been left frustrated at the apparent lack of trading cards on sale

Such is the scale of the problem, the Argentine Ministry of Commerce has shown on its Twitter account an attempt to solve the sticker crisis by getting representation from vendors and Panini’s Argentina group to solve the issue.

They posted a statement that read: ‘The meeting began to assess the situation of the World Cup figurines market. From @ComercioArg we open a dialogue channel between @ukraok and @PaniniArg, making our legal and technical teams available to collaborate in the search for possible solutions.

Sportsmail has contacted Panini for comment. 

People wait in line to buy stickers at a kiosk that just received a new stock in Argentina

A sign offering Panini collection stickers related to the Qatar 2022 World Cup hangs at a shop. The sign reads in Spanish “Buy what you’re missing, a la cart

There have been huge queues in Argentina displaying a visual demand for the cherished trading cards, likely boosted by this likely being Lionel Messi’s last World Cup as well as a surge in support for the national team following their recent Copa America success.

Hopes in Argentina of seeing their side win the World Cup for the first time since Diego Maradona lifted the trophy in 1986 have therefore gone up.

Stickers of a team are likely to go up in value if they go all the way in Qatar later this year.

Lionel Messi’s son Mateo beams a delighted smile after receiving his father’s sticker

Many desperate collectors have turned to the black market to try and get access to the stickers they need, and South American versions of the Lionel Messi sticker have hit demands of up to £450 on auction site Ebay.

One collector who will not need to pay a premium for Messi’s sticker though is his son, Mateo.

Messi’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo shared an image on social media of their son proudly holding up the image of his father wearing the Argentina replica shirt and ready to be stuck into the sticker album.