Jackie Robinson Sets Record as Pele Cards Fuel Massive Week in Sports Card Sales
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After a very quiet week, sports card sales bounced back with several sales topping $500,000. Even with the World Cup now over, demand for soccer cards isn't slowing down.
Here are the five biggest sports card sales from the past week.
5. 2008 Fleer Buyback '93 Michael Jordan Ultra Scoring Kings Autograph
The week's only basketball card comes in at No. 5: a one-of-one PSA Authentic 2008 Fleer Buyback '93 Ultra Scoring Kings Michael Jordan Autograph that sold for $504,000 on July 24, 2026. The silver autograph really pops against the dark background that pays tribute to one of the hobby's most iconic 90s insert designs.
The highest-selling 1993 Ultra Scoring Kings Jordan card was a PSA 10 that also sold on July 24, 2026, for $63,000.
4. 1958 Americana Balas Campeonato Pele Rookie Card #32
One of the greatest soccer players to ever step onto the pitch, Pele's 1958 Americana Balas Campeonato rookie card ranks fourth this week. This PSA 2 copy sold for $610,000 on July 25, 2026.
Cards this scarce almost never reach the public market. According to Card Ladder, this card has a current population of just one, and there are no other public sale records in their database.
3. 2023-24 Panini Black Kaboom! Lamine Yamal Rookie Card
Pele isn't the only soccer player to make this week's short list. An ungraded one-of-one 2023-24 Panini Black Kaboom featuring Lamine Yamal sold on July 25, 2026, for $707,600 and set a new record for the highest-selling Yamal card. The prior record was a PSA 10 one-of-one 2024 Topps Chrome Autographed Rookie Superfractor that sold on June 15, 2025 for $396,500.
2. 1958 Alifabolaget Pele Rookie #635
Pele claims two spots on this week's list with two different rookie cards, including this PSA 9 1958 Alifabolaget Pele rookie card (#635) that sold for $1,170,000 on July 24, 2026. Despite breaking the $1 million mark, this is not the top sale for this card. Back in 2022, a PSA 9 copy of this card sold for $1,330,000, setting the record that still holds today for the highest-selling Pele card.
1. 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson Rookie Autograph #79
Jackie Robinson stole the spotlight when an autographed PSA PR 1 (Auto 8) 1948 Leaf rookie sold for $1.86 million on July 24, 2026, setting multiple records. The prior record for a Jackie Robinson card was a PSA 9 1952 Topps #312, which sold for $960,000 in May 2021.
This sale not only set the record for the highest-selling Jackie Robinson card, but also established a new record for the highest-selling autographed vintage sports card of all time. The prior record was a Babe Ruth autographed 1933 Goudey #181 that sold for $1.464 million on February 21, 2026.
It was an unforgettable week for the sports card market, highlighted by record-setting sales from vintage legends and modern soccer stars alike. Seeing three soccer cards crack the top five is both exciting and incredibly rare, even after the World Cup's conclusion.
It'll be fascinating to see which cards make headlines next, and we'll be here to break down the biggest sales every step of the way. And if you're curious how the trading card game (TCG) market did this week, be sure to check out that story here.
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Conor is a leading sports collectibles writer and market analyst with more than 100 published articles covering sports cards, Pokémon, auctions, investing trends, and hobby culture. A lifelong collector who entered the hobby in the early 1990s, Conor’s expertise centers on vintage and modern basketball cards, basketball icons, and iconic Boston sports memorabilia tied to legends like Larry Bird, Tom Brady, and David Ortiz.