Major League Soccer has made a grand entrance into the world of trading cards with the debut of the 2024 Topps Chrome collection. The launch of this new set is reminiscent of the buzz created by Major League Baseball’s 2023 Topps Chrome Update. Soccer fans and collectors now have a fresh range of cards to pursue, and among them, the highly-coveted redemption card for Hugo Lloris’s Debut Patch Card has already made waves.
In a stroke of luck on December 7, Andy Wert of E and J Boutique in Brooklyn, NY, unearthed a gem while opening a hobby box of the latest MLS product. The treasure inside was a redemption card for Hugo Lloris’s Debut Patch Card. Lloris, renowned as one of the greatest goalkeepers in history, led France to victory in the 2018 World Cup and boasts the record for the most appearances for the French national team with 145 caps. His recent debut in MLS with Los Angeles FC has elevated the card’s status, turning it into a prized possession for fans and collectors alike.
Priced at a mere $120, the hobby box contains two chrome autographs per box, yet it is the redemption card for Lloris’s Debut Patch that has taken center stage as one of the most sought-after finds in the set.
The release of the 2024 MLS Topps Chrome collection marks the league’s inaugural venture into Debut Patch Cards territory, showcasing authentic jersey patches from players’ first MLS matches. Among the 35 Debut Patch Cards featured in the set are global icons like Luis Suárez, the Uruguayan striker currently playing for Inter Miami; Emil Forsberg, the Swedish international showcasing his skills with the New York Red Bulls; and Federico Redondo, a promising talent from Argentina representing Inter Miami. Hugo Lloris’s Debut Patch Card holds its ground as one of the most desired cards in the collection, blending his illustrious international career with his transition to Major League Soccer.
While hobby boxes of MLB’s 2023 Topps Chrome Update have surged in price to $400 on the secondary market, the 2024 MLS Topps Chrome product remains a steal at $120 per box. As several high-profile Debut Patch Cards, such as those of Suárez and Forsberg, are still up for grabs, soccer enthusiasts are immersed in the pursuit of acquiring their own piece of soccer history.
With the introduction of Debut Patch Cards, MLS trading cards have solidified their presence in the collecting realm. By featuring global superstars and commemorating their MLS debuts, the league has tapped into a burgeoning collector community eager for distinctive memorabilia.
As collectors delve into packs of the 2024 MLS Topps Chrome set, the fervor surrounding its release shows no signs of slowing down. Hugo Lloris’s redemption pull has set the stage for what promises to be an electrifying journey, leaving fans on the edge of their seats as they await the reveal of the next iconic card to emerge from the collection.
