The sports card market for football has traditionally been viewed as less popular in the hobby compared to sports like baseball and basketball. Until recently, there wasn’t a single football card on the top 10 most expensive sports cards ever sold as the list was split by baseball, basketball, and a Wayne Gretzky rookie card.
There are many reasons for this perception - football lacks global popularity, player longevity is typically shorter, injury risk is higher, and players are less recognizable due to wearing helmets.
While it’s important to consider these factors when purchasing football cards, it’s hard to ignore the record sales for cards in the sport throughout 2021.
We’ll break down the 31 most valuable football cards ever sold from vintage to modern cards.