Argentines Revive 2026 World Cup Sticker Albums as Paper Swaps Defy the Digital Age
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 10
Argentines Revive 2026 World Cup Sticker Albums as Paper Swaps Defy the Digital Age
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 10
Summary
Weeks before the 2026 World Cup, Argentines have turned player sticker albums into a nationwide craze, with children and adults hunting paper stickers to complete team rosters.
Buenos Aires schoolyards, parks, supermarkets and malls have become trading hubs as children leave smartphones aside for long stretches to swap duplicates face to face.
That rush is being driven by World Cup hype, a desire to ease tournament anxiety in soccer-obsessed Argentina, and an intergenerational habit passed down from parents and grandparents.
The boom highlights how one low-tech pastime has stayed resilient even as the digital revolution has wiped out many other analog hobbies.