An Inside Look at the Newly-Released Set
Topps takes the next step in the evolution of its soccer product with the exciting release of its inaugural 2022/23 Topps Dynasty UEFA Champions League set. Featuring current stars and past legends of Europe’s premier soccer competition, this premium product aims to be the best of the best for collectors of the Beautiful Game. “This is the first-ever Dynasty soccer product, and we aimed to stay true to the brand,” said Director of Product Dillon Stambaugh. “It was essential to deliver a product that reflected the clean and elegant design that Dynasty is so well-known for. We set out to give the world’s most popular sport its rightful place in the Dynasty, in its extended universe, as it were.” For Topps’ soccer team, the time was right. “Products like Chrome UEFA Club Competitions and Museum have been received so well, which made it feel like the moment to take this next step.”
An Unprecedented Moment For the Soccer Hobby
The clean elegance of the cards comes through with a subtle off-white backdrop in concert with gold touches and highlights and engaging player images. The premium element is plain to see as well. Every card in this set features an on-card autograph. All relics are match-worn, and each entry in the set is numbered to ten or less. The ability to provide exclusively on-card autos itself places this set in rarified air. “On-card autographs are very hard to come by in soccer,” explained Stambaugh. “It is a huge step for us to provide one hundred percent on-card signing, one hundred percent match-worn relics, something that, to my knowledge, has never been done in the soccer space before.”
List of Legends Gives Set Shine
Of course, getting on-card autographs is only half the battle. What makes 2022/23 Topps Dynasty UEFA Champions League so impressive is the remarkable list of players, past and present, who are part of the debut set. “The checklist really sets this apart with the inclusion of current stars like Erling Harland, alongside so many of the legends of the Champions League, including Lionel Messi, Neymar, Andrea Pirlo, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo Nazario. These are simply some of the best players ever to play the game.”
But wait, there’s more. “In addition to the autographs we’re so happy to have, some one-of-ones have inscriptions, giving collectors the opportunity to get a message from the player as well as the signature,” explained Stambaugh. “It was amazing to sit down with these stars and see that happen. Fernando Torres added his nickname, ‘El Niño’ to his card. Eduardo Camavinga added ‘Hala Madrid,’ among others. It provides an extra layer for collectors, creating a truly unique collectible.”
Bringing Starball to the Next Level
In addition to autograph and dual autograph cards, the set includes relic and patch cards. The patch cards in this set were designed to pay homage to the legacy of the Champions League. “Starball is what you think of when you think of the Champions League,” said Stambaugh. “In certain rare cards, we have the actual Starball patch worn by the players; in some, it is numbered to five and one-of-ones. But we also carried that throughline in the base design of this set. So, behind the player, you’ll see a golden foil starball.”
With this impressive addition to the Dynasty brand, 2022/23 Topps Dynasty UEFA Champions League shows fans and collectors that the future of Topps soccer products is bright—and the future is now.
