Pope Leo XIV has made history once again—not in the Vatican, but in the world of collectibles.
The Chicago-born pontiff’s Topps Now trading card set has broken the brand’s all-time sales record for non-sports cards. From Thursday to Sunday, the limited-edition run sold a staggering 133,535 copies, priced at $8.99 each.
This feat surpasses previous high-sellers like LeBron James’ 40,000 career points milestone card (86,072 sold) and Victor Wembanyama’s NBA Rookie of the Year edition (113,777 sold).
Though it didn’t beat sports cards overall, it came impressively close. The top-selling Topps Now sports card remains Shohei Ohtani’s 50/50 MLB season, which sold 653,737 copies.
Trading cards featuring popes aren’t new. Pope Leo XIII appeared on a Chocolat Guerin-Boutron card in 1909. The Philadelphia Phillies released a novelty Pope Francis “rookie card” in 2015. A Pope John Paul II signature card from 2009 fetched $1,800 on eBay, previously the most expensive pope card sold.
This latest record cements Pope Leo XIV’s unique cultural and collectible legacy.