Fanatics Shatters Sales Record Again as Messi Farewell Cards Top Ohtani’s 50-50 Mark
Topps moves 664,325 Messi farewell packs in one week, beating Ohtani's 2024 record as athlete retirements become seven-figure revenue events
Fanatics Collectibles just proved the sports card market hasn’t cooled off. The company’s Topps brand moved 664,325 units of its Lionel Messi “Final Farewell” pack in seven days, eclipsing the previous single-week record set last year by Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 commemorative release.
The Messi packs went on sale Oct. 9 and ran through Oct. 16, according to figures Fanatics shared with The Athletic. Ohtani’s record stood at 653,737 orders.
Both milestones underscore a fundamental shift in the collectibles business: athlete retirements and historic achievements now trigger immediate, seven-figure revenue events for Fanatics, which controls the exclusive trading card rights for MLB, NBA, NFL, and now FIFA World Cup properties.
The Messi product commemorates the forward’s international retirement, announced Aug. 31 after Argentina’s 2026 World Cup final loss to Spain. He played his last match for the national team earlier this month against Benin, netting his 126th international goal.
Industry analysts say the back-to-back records reflect a collector base that treats modern releases as alternative assets. “You’re not just selling cardboard anymore,” said one auction-house executive who requested anonymity to discuss market dynamics. “You’re selling liquidity events tied to known catalysts — retirement, milestone stats, championship clinchers.”
Fanatics acquired Topps in 2022 for $500 million and has since consolidated nearly every major sports license under one roof. The Messi pack is the first FIFA-licensed “Final Farewell” product the company has issued since gaining World Cup rights.
Messi, 39, remains under contract with Inter Miami through the 2028 MLS season. His club career continues, but the international chapter — six World Cups, one title, two Golden Balls, 126 goals — is closed. That finality gave Topps a clean marketing hook: a definitive endpoint collectors could date-stamp.
The Ohtani precedent proved the model. His 50-homer, 50-steal season created a stat line that will never be repeated, and Fanatics priced the product accordingly. Messi’s international exit offered a different kind of scarcity: the last Argentina cards ever printed with “active player” status.
Secondary-market data from Goldin and PWCC show both releases trading above issue price within 48 hours. The Messi packs, initially sold at $49.99, averaged $85 on resale platforms by Oct. 18.
Next up: Cristiano Ronaldo’s eventual international retirement, likely after the 2026 World Cup. Fanatics holds those rights too.
