The soccer was arguably the hottest category in trading cards at the height of the pandemic, and while the mass-produced ultra-modern market has tapered off, there doesn't seem to be any slowing down the holy grail rookie cards of football/fútbol/futebol legends like Pelé, Maradona, and Messi. Presented here is the late Diego Maradona's most coveted rookie card, fresh to the hobby and recently graded by PSA an incredible EX-MT 6. That might not sound "incredible", but when you factor in how strict PSA's grading standards have become combined with the difficulty in one of these surviving to meet even low-mid grade status, this is no exaggeration.

The 1977 Crack Futbol Campeonato #11 Disc with a headshot of young Diego as a member of the Argentinos Juniors is among the rarest of all vintage soccer cards, with a total of 78 examples encapsulated by PSA. Only nine exist in the entire SGC population report (highest being EX/NM 6) and there are just four in Beckett's pop (highest EX+ 5.5). The challenge in finding one with even decent eye appeal can be painstaking as these tiny round, hand-cut pieces of cardboard hardly ever turn out smooth and blemish-free. Thus, there are just eight copies from any grader above the EX-MT 6 example offered here. For that reason, the last two examples in this same grade sold for $84,000 and $89,400 in 2022.