Three Lionel Messi cards under $100 for collectors to keep an eye on
The world follows every move that Lionel Messi makes, on and off the soccer pitch, as fans try to get a glimpse into the life of one of the greatest athletes of a generation as his professional soccer career winds down.
Now 37 years of age and playing with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, Lionel Messi has opened up another avenue for collectors to get their hands on items relating to their favorite player.
Collecting cards of Lionel Messi is not the easiest market to get into because of the inflated price compared to your average player. Messi was a prodigy that fully lived up to the hype and, because of that high level of attention, has a collectibles market that requires a solid chunk of change to enter.
Messi’s desirability for collectors has forced the market to adjust, particularly for the card companies that didn’t have the licensing deal with the league he was competing in. Leaf has managed to keep Messi products in consistent production for years while Topps and Panini have had to deal with adjusting to whatever club or international competition the Argentina attacker is participating in.
Here are three Lionel Messi cards collectors under $100 should keep an eye on, one from Argentina, Barcelona and Inter Miami:
Argentina - 2016 Futera World Football Unique Collection #79
There aren’t an abundance of Futera products that immediately come to mind when collecting but their 2016 World Football product produced one of the cleaner Messi cards that has him in an Argentina uniform. Card #79 is a sleek option that showcases Messi in his national team garb.
Barcelona - 2015 Donruss Soccer Fantastic Finishers Insert #7
Everyone needs a card that features Lionel Messi in a Barcelona kit and this insert from 2015 Donruss Soccer is ideal for the lower-end collector. Not only do you get Messi in his Barcelona kit but it also features the forward with the long hair that he donned throughout most of his European career.
Inter Miami - 2023 Topps MLS Big City Strikers Insert #BCS-7
Collectors had to wait months for Topps to release their flagship 2023 MLS product and it didn’t actually come out until after the league’s regular season had concluded in October. Messi had only joined Inter Miami a few months earlier and had yet to be featured in a Topps product while in his new club’s uniform. The Big City Strikers insert is worth adding to your collection as it is one of the first cards with Messi on Inter Miami and is cheaper than the GOAT variation and better looking than his base card.
