搶先看:2021-22 Topps UEFA Champions League soccer

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2021-22 Topps UEFA Champions League takes a more subdued approach than the more plentiful chromium and high-end hobby releases. The flagship-style release brings more traditionally made cards and stresses inserts and set building over modern hits. It’s similar to what Topps is introducing with Bundesliga in 2021-22 as well.


Autographs are very much on the checklist. They’re just not guaranteed in every box or even a major focal point.


2021-22 Topps UEFA Champions League Checklist Overview


The central part of the checklist is the base set. Totalling 200 cards, it showcases top players from around the league. Chelsea has a five-card Title Winners subset.






Topps is also bringing the All-Star Rookie Cup Team, a longstanding baseball tradition, to soccer in this set. Standouts from 2020-21 will have a Rookie Cup icon on their cards.


All 200 base cards have more than a dozen parallels:

• Speckle Foil – (value boxes only)
• Starball Foil – (hobby only)
• Aqua Foil – /299
• Yellow Foil – /250
• Neon Green Foil – /199
• Icy Blue Foil – /99 (hobby only)
• Silver Foil – /75
• Gold Starball Foil – /50 (hobby only)
• Orange Foil – /25
• Icy Black Foil – (hobby only)
• Red Foil – /5
• Printing Plates – 1/1
• Foilfractors – 1/1
  

Inserts


2021-22 Topps UEFA Champions League has a half-dozen insert sets. Some are easy to find while others are of the case-hit variety.


Road to St. Petersburg (1:4 packs) looks ahead to the UCL Final in May with 20 cards of top players.






Topps likes looking to the company’s past. That’s exactly what 1975-76 Topps Footballers (1:5 packs) does. The retro design is used on current players.






Future Stars (1:6 packs) is a familiar name from recent Topps Chrome UEFA sets. As the name suggests, the checklist is dedicated to young and up-and-coming stars.







Looking to the international pool of Champions League talent, Flags of Foundation (1:8 packs) spotlights players from different parts of the world.


At 1:24 packs, Best of the Best is one of the tougher inserts to find in 2021-22 Topps UEFA Champions League. A total of 15 cards make the cut.







All five of the above have similar parallels: Gold (/50), Orange (/25), Red (/5), Printing Plates (1/1) and Foilfractors (1/1). Future Stars also has Pink versions that are exclusive to value boxes.



Rounding out the inserts is Perfect10n. Landing 1:144 packs, these are extremely tough. They’re also die-cut. Parallels are limited to Orange (/25), Red (/5) and Foilfractor (1/1).









Autographs


While not a promised box hit, collectors can find signatures in two themes.


Base Autographs are similar in design to the main set. Parallels include Blue (/99), Gold (/50), Black (/10), Red (/5) and Foilfractor (1/1).






In addition to these are Ultimate Stage Autographs, which have the same parallel levels.


2021-22 Topps UEFA Champions League soccer cards at a glance:


Cards per pack: Hobby – 8
Packs per box: Hobby – 24
Boxes per case: Hobby – 12
Set size: 200 cards
Release date (subject to change): March 16, 2022


What to expect in a hobby box:

• 1975-76 Topps Footballer – 4
• Best of the Best – 1
• Flags of Foundation – 3
• Future Stars – 4
• Road to St. Petersburg – 6
  

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Checklist