When I was a boy growing up in Wales, World Cups arrived with a particular smell: the smell of a freshly opened packet of Panini stickers.
Before social media, before 24-hour football coverage, Panini albums were how many of us first discovered the wider world of football. I can still remember sitting on the floor staring at teams from countries I barely knew existed, learning flags, kits and improbable surnames long before I understood geography.
Football enlarged the imagination. Panini helped it happen. But the real joy was never simply collecting.
Professional footballers need the church, too
Every World Cup produces moments that capture global attention; a dramatic goal, a surprise result or an unforgettable individual performance …