Topps, the renowned sports card company, is making waves in Major League Soccer by introducing its exciting debut patch card program to the league. This innovative initiative, previously successful in Major League Baseball, promises to offer fans unique 1/1 rookie cards featuring game-worn debut patches and player autographs in upcoming MLS product releases.
For the 2024 season, Topps has decided to extend its cutting-edge debut patch card program to Major League Soccer. The program aims to celebrate the arrival of new MLS talent by incorporating special debut patches into their jerseys for their very first game. Once these specially adorned jerseys make their debut on the field, the patches will be carefully collected and processed to create one-of-a-kind rookie cards embellished with the player’s autograph.
The process begins by sending the MLS Debut patches to team equipment managers, who meticulously affix them to the jerseys of first-year players using a specialized adhesive. After the player’s debut match, the patches are delicately removed and sent to Topps where they will be transformed into highly coveted collector’s items.
Players making their MLS debut by April 1 will have the honor of being featured in the 2024 Topps MLS product, with their unique debut patch card included. On the other hand, those debuting after this date will see their patches become part of the following year’s series. This strategic timing ensures that new talent is promptly recognized and celebrated within the realm of Topps’ iconic card collections.
As the MLS season kicks off with a tantalizing lineup of matches, fans can look forward to the opening night clash between Inter Miami CF and Real Salt Lake. Although the debut patch program will not showcase last season’s addition of the international legend Lionel Messi to Miami, it will spotlight this year’s notable arrivals such as Luis Suarez, the former Liverpool and Barcelona star, and Hugo Lloris, the esteemed ex-Tottenham goalkeeper.
The debut patch program has already seen considerable success in Major League Baseball, with a number of the 91 MLB Debut patches from the 2023 Topps Chrome Update packages making their way to online auction sites like eBay. The expansion of this program to Major League Soccer not only offers soccer enthusiasts a distinctive way to connect with emerging stars but also highlights Topps’ commitment to innovation within the realm of sports memorabilia.
