Top Soccer Cards

[aljurgela]

OK, so this area has been quite dead for awhile now, so I decided to try and get it going with this post.

I was asked the other day about the top 15 soccer cards of all time and I started thinking that it is a very difficult question, but one that I think that I should (at some point) put pen to paper on. For now, I will just post some highlights with some Wikipedia links if you are interested in learning about the player. Most pre-war soccer players (and indeed many of the best players from the 1950s, 60s & 70s) are unknown to many Americans.

Since this is a bit scholarly, I will start with the first Captain for England, Oxford educated, G.O. Smith. One of the first soccer cards issued with one of the sport's first stars in a super scarce and attractive card... let's say that this card basically "started it all" for soccer and soccer cards... or correctly said, football and football cards!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._O._Smith

[esehombre]

Great post Al and concur with the Smith. It is an absolute beauty. When I think of top ten soccer (futbol) cards I cant help but think of the greatest and most well known name to ever grace the futbol pitch.

[aljurgela]

Here is another one that is probably a lesser known guy to most Americans (who are not die hard Real Madrid fans), but pretty much a top 10 player in every legit soccer ranking/poll... the Argentine/Spanish Alfredo Di Stefano and this is the pretty rare 1948/1949 Revancha card. He has any earlier card/disc - the Monte Cudine, but there is more mystery in those cards that one would like despite the fact that PSA now grades them.

Here is more about the stud:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfredo_Di_St%C3%A9fano

[Bored5000]

I am interested in reading this thread. Nearly my entire collection consists of non-sports cards or at least cards from outside the big four U.S. sports. I always love reading about some of the iconic cards from outside the big four U.S. sports. I am familiar with the various 1958-59 Pele cards and some of the sport's other major cards, but I would be interested in reading what four cards knowledgeable soccer collectors would put on a Mt. Rushmore of soccer cards.

[aljurgela]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

I am interested in reading this thread. Nearly my entire collection consists of non-sports cards or at least cards from outside the big four U.S. sports. I always love reading about some of the iconic cards from outside the big four U.S. sports. I am familiar with the various 1958-59 Pele cards and some of the sport's other major cards, but I would be interested in reading what four cards knowledgeable soccer collectors would put on a Mt. Rushmore of soccer cards.

This is tough and I am sure that most key countries could have their "own", and it gets even more complicated when you break down by country, position, etc.

So I guess, if you wanted to see who appears at the highest level of pretty much every poll (for what that is worth), I would likely have:

Pele (IFFHS:1, World Soccer:1, Top End: 1, 1-20 FIFA Internet: 2, FIFA Mag & Grand Jury: 1)

Maradona (IFFHS:5, World Soccer:2, Top End: 2, 1-20 FIFA Internet: 1, FIFA Mag & Grand Jury: 3)

Franz Beckenbauer (IFFHS:3, World Soccer:4, Top End: 4, 1-20 FIFA Internet: 8, FIFA Mag & Grand Jury: 4)

Johan Cruyff (IFFHS:2, World Soccer:3, Top End: 3, 1-20 FIFA Internet: 13, FIFA Mag & Grand Jury: 5)

Michel Platini (IFFHS:7, World Soccer:5, Top End: 5, 1-20 FIFA Internet: 15, FIFA Mag & Grand Jury: 6)

Alfredo Di Stefano (IFFHS:4, World Soccer:6, Top End: 6, 1-20 FIFA Internet: 14, FIFA Mag & Grand Jury: 2)

So, I guess we start with the players and then we look at the cards. This does not mean, however, that these would be the most valuable of all cards. But If I were only going to pick a Mt. Rushmore, I guess that you would have to start with the best players of all time. Of course, I think that we should discuss Messi and Ronaldo as they are truly in the conversation, but I will try and steer away from more "modern" issues.

[aljurgela]

So here is the a rookie card of the "best" European footballer of all time. There is a smaller, more typical "card" - the 1967-67 Parilex (from Portugal) and a German issue from 1968 (Sicker Verlag).

If you want to learn a bit more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Cruyff