Topps Chrome Premier League 2026: The Return of the King, or Just a King’s Ransom?

After a six-year hiatus, the standalone Topps Chrome Premier League is officially back, and let’s be real: the hobby is vibrating. On one hand, we’ve finally moved past the "UEFA Club Competitions" era where the EPL was just a side dish. Now, it’s the main course. But as we look at the $190–$250 pre-sale prices for Hobby boxes, we have to ask: Are we paying for the cards, or just the shiny "EPL" logo on the box?

Here’s my take on the good, the bad, and the "overpriced" of this week’s massive release.

The "Must-Haves": The Rookies I’m Eyeing

Even with a skeptical eye on the price tag, there are a few names in this checklist that are hard to ignore. If you're ripping, these are the cards that make the box:

• Max Dowman (Arsenal): The "secret" addition to the checklist at card #201. He’s 15. Fifteen. Being a Hobby-exclusive rookie, his refractors are going to be the absolute apex of the chase.

• Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool): The hype behind this kid is real. After his move from Chelsea’s academy to Liverpool, he’s being treated as the next great English attacker. His first "true" Chrome rookie is a big deal.

• Estêvão Willian (Chelsea): The Brazilian phenom (aka "Messinho") technically joins the league later, but his inclusion here as a Chelsea rookie is the kind of "forward-looking" card that collectors go nuts for.

The Reality Check: Is it Overpriced?

Here’s where I get a bit cynical. Topps is asking for a premium price, but as seasoned soccer collectors, we know the "rookie trap."

The "Transfer Rookie" Problem: A huge chunk of the "rookies" in this set aren't actually rookies in the global hobby sense. Because many of the league's brightest stars come from the Eredivisie, Ligue 1, or the Bundesliga, they often already have rookie cards from previous UEFA or League-specific sets.

Paying $200+ for a box to chase a "Rookie" card of a player who has had cards in the market for three years just because he finally moved to England feels a bit like a tax on Premier League fans. If you're buying for the long-term, you have to decide: do you want his first card, or his first EPL card? Often, the market eventually favors the former.

The Verdict: Rip or Pass?

• Rip it if: You are a die-hard team collector or you’re chasing the "Hobby-only" insanity like the Max Dowman short-prints or the 1/1. The exclusive David Beckham on-card autos are also a massive draw this year.

• Pass if: You’re strictly an "ROI" collector. With the "Transfer Rookie" saturation, you might be better off buying the specific singles of the actual teenagers (Dowman, Ngumoha, Shea Lacey) once the initial release hype dies down in a few weeks.

Box Breakdown at a Glance