Sportcal

Panini in multi-year, multi-faceted NWSL agreement

The agreement also extends to the NWSL's Players Association, unveiled in advance of the 2026 campaign.

North America's National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has struck a deal with collectibles and trading cards heavyweight Panini.

Through a multi-year tie-up, Panini North America becomes the exclusive trading card partner of that 16-team league. The deal also extends to the NWSL's Players Association, with OneTeam Partners brokering the tie-up on behalf of the NWSLPA.

The deal has been announced days before the start of the 2026 NWSL season on Friday (March 13), which will kick off with a game between the Washington Spirit and the Portland Thorns.

The deal will see Panini produce a new NWSL product range, featuring physical trading cards, digital collectibles via blockchain, and a sticker collection.

The introduction of NWSL trading cards will be the first element of this deal, timed to coincide with the start of the 2026 campaign and to be released via the Panini Instant platform.

There will also be collaboration between Panini and the soccer league across a range of fan marketing initiatives, as well as "team-specific and player-led activations."

Katie Eaton, the NWSL's vice-president of consumer products, commented: "Trading cards are a cornerstone of sports fandom, and working with a global leader like Panini allows us to showcase our players in new ways while meeting the growing demand for NWSL collectibles.”

Concerning recent NWSL activity, late February saw the league bring in the CVS Pharmacy arm of US healthcare heavyweight CVS Health as a new partner.

Mark Warsop, chief executive for Panini America, added: "Having great partners like the NWSL and NWSLPA within our portfolio is another example of our continued commitment to celebrating both soccer and women’s sports.”

The primary Panini deal struck in recent months came in early January, through a trading card arrangement with Unrivaled, the 3x3 professional women’s competition that launched last year.

Through the agreement (which was also brokered by OneTeam), Panini America will produce officially licensed trading cards for the league and bring its first official cards to market.