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Dan Hajducky
Multiple Authors
A rare 1-of-1 green 2018 Panini Kaboom card featuring Cristiano Ronaldo during his Juventus days has set a new record, selling for $1.35 million in a private transaction confirmed by Fanatics to ESPN.
This sale marks the highest price ever paid for a Ronaldo card and ranks as the second-highest amount spent on a soccer card, just behind the $1.5 million Lionel Messi rookie card and slightly ahead of the $1.33 million Pele rookie card, the first soccer card to surpass $1 million when it sold.
The previous record for a Ronaldo card sale was $420,000, achieved on May 22 during a Fanatics Premier auction for a 1-of-1 2015 Panini Flawless Finishes Black card, graded a 7 by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and received a 10 for its autograph.
The 2018 Panini Kaboom set was not released publicly but was part of the Panini Rewards program. While Kaboom cards were first launched in 2013, the highly sought-after green 1-of-1 parallel was introduced in 2018.
Though the buyer’s identity remains unknown, a high-profile collector known as “cherubcards” bought the Ronaldo card in March 2024 and later confirmed to The Athletic that they were the seller.
Recently, Ronaldo celebrated winning his first Saudi Pro League title with Al Nassr since joining in January 2023. Additionally, he has been named to Portugal’s squad for the upcoming World Cup, marking his sixth appearance in the tournament.
Over the past few months, at least seven Lionel Messi cards have sold for more than $350,000. In contrast, including this latest sale, only two Ronaldo cards have ever fetched over $350,000, both occurring within the past week.