Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterSome things immediately transport you back to childhood. Football in the garden. Old replica shirts, parents licking a tissue and rubbing your face, and now for Gen Z: the rip of a foil Match Attax packet.First launched in 2006, Match Attax quickly became part of football culture for kids across the UK. Cards were swapped in playgrounds, showed off on the bus home and, inevitably, traded for something that seemed like a brilliant deal at the time.Two decades later, Match Attax is still bringing that same feeling to a new generation of fans.Got, Got, NEED!For lifelong collectors, the appeal is about more than completing a checklist. The cards become snapshots of football moments, favourite players and childhood memories. For Jack Whyte, known online as GBW, one of Match Attaxs best-known collectors, it started at home.I remember coming home from school and seeing packs of Match Attax waiting for me on the dining room table. Id get so excited ripping into them with my mum and dad, and chasing the OG 101 Steven Gerrard card.As a QPR fan, one card thats always stuck with me is the Charlie Austin Hat-Trick Hero from the 2014/15 Extra collection. Thats what makes Match Attax so special for me, there are cards that bring you straight back to a particular moment or memory. You may like What are the new patches on Champions League shirts this season? What are the patches on players' shirts at the World Cup and why are they wearing them? NEW ISSUE: Exclusive KSI interview, footballs celebrity owners, Harry Redknapp on Snoop Dogg, NY Cosmos, Leah Williamson and Antonin Panenka, plus Michail Antonio Q&A Another collector, Dan, remembers trying to collect Frank Lampard cards each season. Im a Chelsea fan so I was always swapping to get Chelsea cards in general, but Frank was and probably still is my favourite player. Id always be on the lookout for his cards - its just got that extra special emotion attached when its your favourite player. Ive still got plenty packed away in my old Match Attax binder, they might be worth a few quid now!This week sees the launch of the new 20th Anniversary Edition Match Attax collection, packed full of the best players from Europes top leagues. Looking at this seasons new collection, Id be chasing the rare Whoosh Messi FC Barcelona card, says GBW. It looks unbelievable, and hes the greatest of all time, so thats definitely the one Id want to pull.While the nostalgia remains, Match Attax 2026/27 is designed to give a new generation plenty of reasons to start collecting. It introduces a new rarity system for the first time, with cards ranging from Rare and Super Rare through to Mega Rare, Ultra Rare, Hyper Rare and the ultimate Mystical cards.The collection also brings back the iconic 100 Club - something of a collector favourite - but this time with a twist, as previous 100 Club players were put to a vote, giving collectors the chance to choose which legends they wanted to see return for the 20th anniversary collection, marking the All-Time 100 Club. Names include Maldini, Messi, Ronaldo, Henry and more.Get the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Twenty years on, the playground may look a little different. But the ritual remains remarkably familiar: get a packet, rip it open, see what youve got and, perhaps, wonder: What can I trade this for?Somewhere out there, theres probably another kid opening a packet and finding a card theyll still remember 20 years from now.TOPICSLionel MessiCristiano RonaldoMatthew KetchellSocial Links NavigationDeputy EditorA former goalkeeper, Ketch joined FourFourTwo as Deputy Editor in 2022 having worked across ChronicleLive, LeedsLive, Hull Daily Mail, YorkshireLive, Teesside Gazette and the Huddersfield Examiner as a Northern Football Editor. Prior to that he was the Senior Writer at BBC Match of the Day magazine. He has interviewed the likes of Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gareth Southgate and attended two World Cup finals and two Champions League finals. He has been a Newcastle United season ticket holder since 2000 and has a deep knowledge on the history and culture of football shirts.
