A nostalgic journey through the last 50 years of LALIGA: an exhibition of Panini stickers

A tribute to the history of LALIGA and the most iconic football players of the last half century. This is how to define this new LEGENDS exhibition, where visitors will admire the most famous pieces of the past 50 years, with 600 stickers distributed in two new spaces. The exhibition, which will be enjoyed by all fans in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol until the beginning of August, covers the history of LALIGA from the 1972-73 season to the present day.

What will the fan feel visiting this exhibit? “Above all, those moments of happiness that the football cards gave him in his life,” explained Juan Pedro Martínez, editorial director of Panini Spain. Relive that unforgettable moment when we opened an envelope with the hope of discovering what was inside. “Someone once said that ‘to remember is to live again’ and I believe that this principle has been fully fulfilled,” said Martínez.

The exhibition, located on the fourth floor of LEGENDS, is divided into two parts. At first, through large panels, historical cards from around thirty Spanish clubs are displayed, along with pieces of some of the most iconic players of each team and paraded in the albums of the ESTE/Panini Collections from during their first collection in the 1972 -73 season until now. It is complemented by an exhibition of cards of famous players over the past 52 years. From the first piece of the inaugural collection, of the legendary Athletic Club goalkeeper José Ángel Iríbar, to the recent Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham or Antoine Griezmann, the entire history of LALIGA on the cards, including, of course, the legends name like Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

And not only that, but the LEGENDS space is also welcoming a new makeover. The visitor will be able to enjoy “the first collection published in the world of the women’s national championship”, as Lluís Torrent, general director of Panini Spain and Portugal, told us. What seems clear is that the cards change with society and remain attached to it. It doesn’t matter that the world has gone digital, that mobile screens have become a major part of younger entertainment. Sticking a sticker on the album and trying to complete the collection continues to be an emotion that children and adults retain in every generation. “The collection is an element of families,” Torrent said.

This continued success is based, according to Juan Pedro Martínez, on what we refer to in Panini as ‘the magic of trading cards’, the unique, unrepeatable moment of emotion, anxiety, surprise of discovering what the contents of the envelope we are about to put in. . And at the same time, the strength of the bond that binds Panini and LALIGA is important and which, as Martínez tells us, is what allows us to “continue to keep this fire alive, very alive”, with delayed 52-year presence of the stickers in million Spanish homes.

A unique space in which to live an unforgettable football experience

And in few places, the magic of those trading cards can shine with such splendor as at LEGENDS, a space of 4,200 square meters, located in the heart of Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and representing the greatest football experience on the planet. Its collection has more than 5,000 historical items from the beautiful game, many of which were used by some of the greatest athletes in history. In the Puerta del Sol experience, 600 relics from this collection are on display.

For example, Spanish fans will be excited to see the shirts worn by great stars who played in LALIGA such as Johan Cruyff, Diego Armando Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Andrés Iniesta or Leo Messi. With them, some legendary pieces like the one worn by Sergio Ramos in the World Cup final in South Africa or the jacket worn by the transalpine star Paolo Rossi in the unforgettable Italy-Brazil match in the 82 World Cup And will definitely reserve you some time to think about the most important national and international trophies distributed in showcases or for boots or balls of the first world championships.

But LEGENDS is more than just a collection of collectibles. The space has managed to incorporate technology to create an immersive experience that will make any LALIGA fan feel special. As Juan Pedro Martínez tells us, these legendary objects are combined with audiovisual wonders. “It’s a real show for football lovers,” he said. Because they cannot be defined in any other way, for example, the game area which allows the visitor to live the gaming experience using virtual reality technology and which will boost adrenaline in all participants. And certainly no one will leave without experiencing the unique sensations caused by the 4D cinema, which recreates in the projection room the physical conditions seen on the screen, with vibrations in the seats and surprising effects that intensify to the immersion of the audience.

And after this exciting journey through stickers, historical pieces and immersion in new technologies, there is nothing better than enjoying the best gastronomy in a privileged space: LALIGA TWENTYNINE’S LEGENDS EXPERIENCE, where the combining sport, gastronomy and environment makes incredible moments unforgettable. experience. This is the Gastro Sport located on the rooftop of the building, where visitors can recover after so many emotions while enjoying the unique views of the Puerta del Sol and the center of Madrid from the top of LEGENDS.

LEGENDS is a different place where you can experience the passion for football itself and where you can let fly your memories and the emotions of some of the most legendary matches and footballers in history. In particular, the sticker exhibition that we will enjoy these months is also a reflection of the successful collaboration between LALIGA and Panini, an alliance that has always had a clear goal: to make the millions of fans of this sport happy.