Biting Insanity: 1998 France World Cup Marbles

Maybe it was all the talk of Uruguay's Luis Suarez seemingly biting Italy' Giorgio Chiellini, but it I scoured the collection for the objects that symbolize losing ones sanity. Voila, Marbles !

 

For some reason, these are my favorite non-card soccer collectible. France had issued standard size marbles with their French Ligue in the 1997-98 season. So when it came time for the hosts (and eventual Champions) to be featured, another marble set was made.

 

1998 FRANCE TEAM PLAYER MARBLES

  

 

Apparently, there were 8 series of packs containing 3 marbles each. Although I do not have a complete checklist, I assume that this included all 23 players plus Manager Aime Jacquet.

 

 

 

Each set of 3 marbles came on a green rack inside a carded window package.

 

Current Paris SG Manager Laurent Blanc and former Manchester United Champion, Fabian Barthez.

 

Current France World Cup Manager Didier Deschamps and Arsenal Champion, Patrick Vieira.

 

Former FIFA World Player of the Year and World Cup Champion, Zinedine Zidane.

 

These are the ones I have -

 

Laurent Blanc

Stephane Guivarc'h

Fabian Barthez

 

Franck LeBoeuf

Zinedine Zidane

Alain Roche

 

Didier Deschamps

Patrick Vieira

Bixente Lizarazu

 

Christophe Dugarry

Christian Karembou

Robert Pires

 

 

Netherlands World Cup: Money In The Bank

With the Orange goal machine ripping through Brazil 2014, we take a look back twenty years ago when the USA hosted the FIFA Tournament.  Many of the great collectibles come from sponsorship and its prevalent in most enterprising nations.

 

Holland were sponsored by Nationale Nederlanden Bank which were visible on all their training shirts and media adverts.

 

One of the more significant items produced were rubber erasers with the likeness of players  from the 1994 squad. These caricatures have been prominent since the 1930's in Holland.  The erasers measure about 4 inches by 2 inches.

 

Dennis Bergkamp

Ed DeGoey

Ronald Koeman

Marc Overmars

Frank Rijkaard

Jan Wouters

 

These were the only 6 players we know to have been featured.