Mexico 70

This copy is the first edition, published in England; it is fully filled in with the scores of every match, allowing the tournament to be followed match by match through to Brazil’s victory, its third World Cup title after those of 1958 and 1962. The album would later be adapted for Spain and Belgium.

It was in 1961 that the brothers Giuseppe and Benito Panini launched their first Calciatori (Footballers, in Italian), a sticker album devoted to players of the Italian football championship — the very first Panini album. The format was quickly exported to England, where the firm FKS produced The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars in 1967/1968, featuring stickers of First Division players.

Their first World Cup album was launched in 1970: as England were the reigning champions, the cover shows the captain of the “Three Lions” lifting the trophy won at Wembley on 30 July 1966. The trophy, the Jules Rimet Cup, first awarded at the inaugural competition in 1930, was to be permanently retained by the first team to win the World Cup three times. Brazil achieved this in 1970, led by its emblematic player Pelé, who had contributed to all three victorious campaigns: he remains to this day the only player to have won three World Cup titles.

This copy is enriched with three photographs (period press prints) by Henri Besson, one of the greatest sports photographers. He covered his only World Cup in 1970, before specializing in cycling, becoming head of the photography department of Miroir du cyclisme in 1971. The photographs illustrate Pelé’s two decisive assists: the headed pass leading to Jairzinho’s goal, and the through-ball to Carlos Alberto.

A publication as rare as those issued by Panini, who also produced an album for the 1970 World Cup — the first of its kind for the competition.

The album and stickers are in magnificent, near-perfect condition.