Panini correctly predicted 13 of the 18 Brazilian players included in the 2026 World Cup album when Carlo Ancelotti announced on Monday (18th) the 26 players called up for the Brazilian national team. The correct predictions include Vini Jr., Alisson, Marquinhos and ten other names that appear both in the album and in the Italian coach's official list. ✓
Press quotes (2)
"Carlo Ancelotti anunciou nesta segunda-feira (18) os 26 jogadores que representarão o Brasil na Copa."
"Dos jogadores brasileiros presentes no álbum da Copa, 13 foram convocados por Ancelotti."
Five players that Panini included in the album were left out of the call-up: Bento, João Pedro, Éder Militão, Rodrygo and Estêvão. According to InvestNews, three of them — Militão, Rodrygo and Estêvão — were already out due to injury and didn't appear even in the pre-list of 55 names sent by Ancelotti to FIFA. ✓
Press quotes (2)
"Ficaram no álbum, mas fora da lista final: Bento; João Pedro; Éder Militão; Rodrygo; Estêvão."
"Entre eles, Éder Militão, Rodrygo e Estêvão já estavam fora da disputa por lesão e não apareceram nem na pré-lista de 55 nomes enviada por Ancelotti à Fifa."
Eleven players called up by the coach don't appear among the Brazilian stickers in the album, including Neymar, Endrick and Ederson. Panini announced it will launch an "update pack" with new stickers to correct the differences, following a strategy already adopted in previous World Cups. In 2022, the company launched a similar pack about 20 days after the tournament began, with 79 new stickers sold for approximately R$ 49. ✓
Press quotes (3)
"A lista oficial também mostrou ausências no álbum: 11 jogadores chamados pelo técnico italiano não têm figurinha entre os brasileiros escolhidos pela Panini."
"A Panini afirmou que lançará um "pacote de atualização" com novas figurinhas para corrigir as diferenças entre o material original e os grupos oficiais do torneio."
"Na edição de 2022, por exemplo, a Panini lançou um pacote semelhante cerca de 20 dias após o início do torneio, com 79 novas figurinhas. Na ocasião, o produto foi vendido por aproximadamente R$ 49."
Panini correctly predicted exactly 13 of the 18 Brazilian players included in the album
Update pack strategy was already used in previous World Cups (2018 and 2022)
Covered by only some sources, or where the accounts diverge.
Covered by only some sources (2)
Panini's decision-making process involves TV audience analysis, jersey sales and social media engagement
Brazilian album has limited capacity for 20 stickers (shield + team + 18 players) against 26 possible call-ups
-
When exactly did Panini define the player names for the 2026 World Cup album?
Why it's still unknown: The company mentions names are defined months in advance, but doesn't specify the exact decision date for this edition
-
What will be the price of the 2026 update pack and how many stickers will it have?
Why it's still unknown: Panini announced it will launch the pack but hasn't detailed price or number of stickers yet
-
Why wasn't Neymar included in the original album if he was already considered one of the team's main players?
Why it's still unknown: Sources don't explain the specific criteria that led to Neymar's exclusion from the initial album