World Cup sticker collectors in Rio de Janeiro were given a shock on Thursday when a van carrying hundreds of thousands of Panini stickers was stolen during a delivery.
Panini sticker albums have been loved the world over by football fans since the first World Cup edition in 1970, as fans endeavour to collect the 640 stickers required to complete the album featuring players who will appear in the forthcoming World Cup finals in Brazil.
Thieves made off with the van as it stopped to make a delivery at a newsagent’s but Panini were quick to ward off panic among fans hoping to complete the collection, insisting supplies of Cristiano Ronaldos, Lionel Messis and Neymars were not running low.
“Panini can state that the city of Rio de Janeiro is well supplied and there is no shortage of official Panini products for sale,” the company said in a statement.
