Iconic Lionel Messi Card Sells on eBay for Record Price
With sports card values continuing to explode, Lionel Messi is the latest superstar to make headlines. The 2004 Panini Mega Cracks shown below is by far his most iconic card and has long been considered his go-to collectible. On August 14, 2025, it broke another record when a PSA 8 sold on eBay for $26,801.31, the highest price ever paid for a PSA 8 copy.
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This isn’t the only copy of the 2004 Panini Mega Cracks to make headlines. A PSA 10 sold privately just a few weeks ago for $825,000, up more than $500,000 from its public sale a year ago. What makes the PSA 8 sale so striking, however, is how quickly its value has jumped. Just nine days before selling for $26,801, it went for $20,000, and eleven days before that, it sold for only $12,315. An already expensive card rising 117 percent in just 20 days highlights not only Messi's cultural relevance, but also the overall growth of the sports card market. Just take a look at the following chart from Card Ladder, a popular platform for tracking trading card values.
We can see that the market for cards valued over $5,000 hit unsustainable highs during the COVID-19 pandemic. And while many expected it to come crashing down, that wasn’t the case. The market did pull back somewhat, but has been steadily ticking back up since 2023 and has recently been skyrocketing again. There’s no way to know exactly how far it could go, but with record-breaking attendance at card shows, new investments in the industry, athlete involvement, and more exposure than ever, the future of the hobby looks very promising.
Jason is a dedicated basketball card collector who recently transitioned into writing and educating others about the sports card industry. Find him on Instagram @jeancardz