World Cup fever can already be felt throughout Buenos Aires. TV ads, new clothing lines, fast-food meal deals, and even special mate kits have flooded the city in a flurry that (everyone hopes) will revolve around the Albiceleste until the final match on July 19.  

For Argentines, the global football event has a singular side issue that can sometimes rival the passion for the game itself: filling the Panini sticker album. 

The quest to paste players from all the competing countries into a booklet, which the Italian company has been putting out since the 1970 World Cup, has evolved over the past few decades. From a hobby for children and teenagers, the activity has exploded to such an extent that entire families have turned the activity into an obsession. 

The world of stickers (known in Spanish as figuritas) is buzzing online, from searches on WhatsApp groups and sites like Mercado Libre to posts showing them off on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. The phenomenon also has a real-world counterpart, with newsstands and stores once again becoming hotspots besieged by eager customers. 

The sticker craze has also turned Rivadavia Park, an iconic spot in Buenos Aires, into a constant topic of conversation. And it’s no wonder: every weekend, hundreds of people gather to trade duplicate stickers and get the hardest-to-find ones to complete their albums.

They also say they’re looking to collect the special ones and treasure them — or, for the craftier ones, sell them.

A stroll between stickers and collectibles

Opened in 1928 in Caballito, Parque Rivadavia is a historic gathering........

© Buenos Aires Herald