Hundreds of avid football fans in Dubai have been gripped by World Cup fever – but it isn't the thrilling action on the pitch that is the cause for celebration.
Instead the excited chatter among groups gathering each week across the emirate is focused on stickers – and plenty of them.
They are not alone in their passion. The release of Panini's beloved sticker albums is a time-honoured tradition dating back to the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Fast forward 56 years and the country is once again hosting the tournament, alongside the US and Canada, while the enduring love affair with World Cup stickers is as strong as ever.
This year's 48-team tournament is the biggest in history, meaning a supersized collection of 980 stickers is up for grabs.
Sticking to the task
Laurentiu Joita, a Romanian resident in Dubai, has collected stickers during the World Cups held over the past 30 years. During the 2022 finals in Qatar, he started a group to meet every week during tournaments.
"The community was growing by itself," he told The National, during one of the Sunday swap meets at a mall in Dubai. "There was a need for an organised community, which would be able to swap, meet, greet and learn more about the collectibles. Seeing people passionate about the hobby, it made me understand that it can create beautiful memories."
The group grew steadily, with news initially spreading by word of mouth. More than 300 collectors now attend regular meetings.
"It is a very family-oriented event," Mr Joita said. "New collectors can come in and they can get a lot of knowledge and information about the collections, and they can turn into more professional ones."
Pages of history
The premise is simple – sticker packs contain seven cards each and cost Dh10 ($2.72), with the sticker album costing Dh25. Each country's players are represented, along with the team's group photo and crest, in sticker form. The goal is to complete the album.
Mr Joita rekindled his passion for collecting the stickers after moving to Dubai in 2014. He hopes to one day own the "holy grail" of Panini World Cup sticker collectors – a completed 1970 sticker album in good condition.
"The passion started when I was a kid, I remember opening the first packs for Euro '96 when I was around seven years old. It's my mission to make sure I get [the 1970 album] one day," he added.
Embracing power of sport
Sertac Akpinar has been collecting World Cup sticker albums since France '98. This year's tournament means a lot to the Turkish football fan – it is his country's first appearance at the showpiece event since a third-place finish in 2002.
He told The National that in the UAE, the tournament is about more than supporting your own country. "It’s exciting to watch the matches, enjoy the football atmosphere and collect stickers with fellow collectors here," Mr Akpinar said.
He is a newcomer to the Sunday gathering. He hopes the events bring people both closer together and nearer to completing their albums.
"Collecting is a great way to meet new people and become part of a community. Sharing the same passion makes the experience much more enjoyable," he said. "I’ve made a few friends from different countries through sticker collecting. That’s one of my favourite aspects of the hobby – it brings people together, regardless of where they’re from, and allows us to share our passion for football and collecting."
Collections and connections
For UAE citizen Ahmed Alsalami, the sticker albums are pieces of history. The Abu Dhabi resident started his collection in 1990 when the UAE made its so far only appearance at a World Cup.
"When I got a little bit older, I continued searching for the old memories," he told The National. "At that time we were young, there was no community here."
Mr Alsalami completed two sticker albums before the first match even kicked off. His most recent sticker purchase was a box with 1,000 packs.
"When we do the swap meetings, it's different backgrounds, different countries, different cultures," he said. "Here in the UAE everybody's different and we get closer together through this. There are kids also, they see how we treat each other, how we swap."
Thrill of the chase
The satisfaction of hunting down missing stickers from albums over the years keeps collectors coming back for more. "When you find the missing sticker and stick it in the album, this by itself is a joy," Mr Alsalami said. "You know all the players. Later, you go back to the album and [remember] this player and that player. It connects you with the world somehow."
Mr Akpinar has filled about 30 per cent to 40 per cent of his album and hopes to complete it before the final on July 19. Mr Joita says no collector will be left behind.
"We will keep the meetings happening through the World Cup, even further than that. Everyone will finish their albums," he said.
