World Cup Energy Meets Grail Cards: Goldin Auctions' Draw Day Event
As the soccer world turns its attention to Washington, D.C. for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Draw, one of the hobby’s biggest power players is stepping onto the global stage at the perfect moment. Goldin Auctions is hosting a special eBay Live event on Friday, December 5, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. MST, offering a curated lineup of soccer cards, signed jerseys, and live reactions to the draw as it unfolds.
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For collectors, this isn’t just another stream. It’s a collision of two massive audiences—global football fans waiting to see where their nations land next summer, and a hobby community that has seen soccer become one of its fastest-growing segments. And Goldin is uniquely positioned to bridge that world.
The World Cup Draw: Perfect Timing for a Global Audience
The 2026 World Cup Final Draw kicks off Friday at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., just one hour before the Goldin x eBay Live event. Forty-two nations already in the tournament will learn their group-stage paths, while six playoff spots will be filled in March. As the confetti falls and the hosts reveal the final brackets, millions of fans will be tuning in around the world.
Goldin’s live event is designed to ride that wave of global attention, offering real-time reactions while showcasing elite soccer collectibles. It’s the perfect moment to highlight pieces like the 2011 Panini Portugal De Ouro Stickers #126 Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Card—exactly the kind of grail item World Cup energy brings to life.
Goldin Auctions: From Niche Marketplace to Cultural Force
When Goldin Auctions launched in 2012, it entered a crowded field of memorabilia sellers. A decade later, it has become one of the most trusted and influential names in high-end collectibles. Based in Runnemede, N.J., the company has facilitated over $1 billion in memorabilia sales, handling everything from record-breaking vintage sports cards to pop culture artifacts that go viral overnight.
In April 2024, Goldin was acquired by eBay, creating a partnership that married Goldin’s premium auction reputation with eBay’s enormous reach, data infrastructure, and real-time commerce tools. The result: a platform where elite collectibles meet mainstream accessibility. Friday’s streaming event is the clearest example yet of how that synergy works.
Ken Goldin’s Mainstream Moment
At the center of all of it is Ken Goldin, the founder, executive chairman, and one of the hobby’s most recognizable personalities. Goldin’s involvement in the marketplace dates back to his teenage years running a mail-order card business—long before high-end auctions and Instagram reveals became the norm.
Today, he has become a face of the modern collectibles boom, thanks in large part to Netflix’s hit series King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch. The show pulls viewers inside big-ticket consignments, behind-the-scenes negotiations, and authentication drama.
Seasons one and two landed in Netflix’s U.S. Top 10, and the upcoming Season 3 premieres December 23, 2025—with Netflix green-lighting new seasons annually through 2028. The next chapter promises a more global lens, including soccer grails, historic match-worn items, and cameos from stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Logan Paul.
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A New Era of Live Collecting
This crossover—World Cup anticipation fused with premier live auction content—illustrates how collecting has evolved. eBay Live gives fans a way to interact, bid, and experience the moment together; Goldin brings the expertise, storytelling, and high-end curation.
Whether you’re a soccer obsessive or a hobby veteran, Friday’s show isn’t just another auction. It’s a celebration of global sport and a reminder that the modern collectible marketplace thrives on cultural moments like this.
Lucas Mast is a writer based in California’s Bay Area, where he’s a season ticket holder for St. Mary’s basketball and a die-hard Stanford athletics fan. A lifelong collector of sneakers, sports cards, and pop culture, he also advises companies shaping the future of the hobby and sports. He’s driven by a curiosity about why people collect—and what those items reveal about the moments and memories that matter most.
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