Sticker shock: Brazilians swept away by sticker albums as World Cup at home approaches | Fox News
SAO PAULO – World Cup sticker frenzy has swept Brazil like never before.
Brazilians have long been avid fans of World Cup sticker albums. This year, however, there's added motivation with soccer's showcase event starting at home on June 12.
Everybody is talking stickers, from kids to adults, students to doctors. Even Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
Fans have set up trading places in front of stadiums, plazas and bookstores to swap their stickers in hopes of completing their sets. Some are hardcore collectors. Others are helping their kids or just there for the thrill of it.
Brazil led all countries in sales during the 2010 World Cup and this time numbers are already better than they were four years ago, according to the FIFA-picked company in charge of the album, Italy-based Panini. The stickers are sold in more than 100 nations, with South America being the top market. Germany and Switzerland were the top countries in sales after Brazil in 2010, Panini said.
"The last time I did this was when I was just a little kid, but with the World Cup coming to Brazil there was no way I was going to pass up on this one," said 32-year-old Fernando da Silva, who was trying to complete his second album at a trading point in front of the Pacaembu Stadium in Sao Paulo. "The World Cup is here and this album will be historic. This brings back all memories from when I used to swap stickers with my friends at school."