The author's passion for football journalism began when his father introduced him to the sport through a Panini World Cup sticker album in 2002, when he was just 7 years old [1, 2, 3, 4]. That summer, the 2002 FIFA World Cup was held in Japan and South Korea. The players featured in their sticker album came alive on television, deepening the boy’s connection to the sport [1, 2, 3, 4].
Before the tournament, the father and son shared moments opening sticker packets, carefully placing each sticker in the album, and driving to nearby stores to collect more [1, 2, 3, 4]. For the author, whose family background was Asian and less expressive verbally or physically, this sticker ritual was a special way his reserved father showed affection through football knowledge and shared time [1, 2, 3, 4].
Over the years, this tradition helped the author understand his father better and inspired him to pursue a career in sports journalism, focusing on football. The childhood bond formed through the Panini album remains a defining influence in his life [1, 2, 3, 4].
In 2026, the author has realized his dream by reporting at the FIFA World Cup held this year, continuing the sticker collection tradition in spirit while covering the global football event firsthand [1, 2, 3, 4].
