Topps Brings Debut Patch To UEFA Champions League For First Matches

As part of the announcement that Fanatics and UC3, the managing company that handles the licensing rights for the men’s and women’s UEFA Champions Leagues, have agreed to a six-year extension, Topps will be bringing their popular Debut Patch program to the most prestigious club competition in the world.

With the men’s UEFA Champions League beginning next week, expect to see Debut Patches on clubs like Arsenal, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and many others on the pitch. After the match, the patches will be removed from the kits and sent to Topps so they can be placed onto one-of-one trading cards that will be featured in the Topps UEFA Champions League Chrome Collection, set to release later this year. Interestingly, there is no mention of whether the cards will be signed by the player, like in other sports.

Who Will Be Included In The Set?

What makes the Champions League Debut Patch stand out from their counterparts in MLB, the NBA, and the NFL is that these are players who have already made their debut as professional footballers around the world. The list of players expected to make their first Champions League appearance this season is a mixture of rising stars and young veterans who have finally qualified for the big stage. Here’s a small sampling of who will be wearing the Debut Patch soon:

• Brian Madjo: Forward, Aston Villa
• Yan Diomandé: Right Winger, Real Madrid
• Víctor Muñoz: Left Winger, Liverpool
• Carlos Baleba: Midfielder, Manchester United

As a Newcastle supporter who was bummed that Muñoz went to Liverpool, this one stings a little.

The Relevance of the Debut Patch

Ever since Topps debuted its Rookie Debut Patch program in Major League Baseball back in 2023, the chase for the top players has produced a number of viral moments for the Fanatics-owned company. From Livvy Dunne offering a totally normal opportunity to sit with her in exchange for Paul Skenes’s signed Debut Patch card to the millions of dollars that Cooper Flagg’s card is expected to garner at the Fanatics September auction, the potential of owning a piece of a future superstar’s first appearance in the Champions League could offer similar stunts and amazing returns.

Juan Martinez

From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. After recently getting into Formula 1, he now has hot takes about who the greatest driver of all time is. Email: juan@soleretriever.com