2016 Panini U.S. National Team First Caps #9 Christian Pulisic

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In both 2015 and 2016 Panini released a boxed set each of these two years featuring the USMNT and USWNT, before subsequently instead issuing separate USWNT and USMNT Panini Instant sets in subsequent years.  In Christian Pulisic’s 2016 year rookie set, Pulisic and other players debuting with the USMNT and USWNT over the prior year were included in a “First Caps” subset (“cap” being the term widely used for an appearance representing one’s country in international soccer).  The 2016 Panini USA Soccer First Cap cards featured the date and location of each respective international debut on the front of the card along with information about the appearance on the back of the card, making the 2016 Panini U.S. National Team First Caps #9 Christian Pulisic card the only Christian Pulisic rookie card to commemorate his debut with the USMNT.  As noted on the back of the card, this debut made history for more than just being Pulisic’s international debut: “When he entered late in a 4-0 win over Guatemala on March 29, 2016, the 17-year-old Pennsylvania native became the youngest player in U.S. National Team history to play in a World Cup Qualifier.”  This is a record that still stands today.

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Each boxed set featured one full set – including one of each First Caps card – and also came with one autograph card and one memorabilia card in addition to seven Holographic (often just called “Holo”) parallel cards.  It is worth noting that the packaging on each boxed set states five parallels and two checklist cards are included in each boxed set, but it appears that was changed to seven Holographic cards after the packaging was printed.  Panini did not make any autograph or memorabilia cards of the young Christian Pulisic in his rookie set (likely due to timing constraints between his international debut and the set’s release on or about October 19, 2016), leaving Pulisic with a First Caps base card and the First Caps Holographic parallel in the set. 

 

The 2016 Panini USA Soccer set was only sold in factory boxed sets, not in any form of packs.  The fixed insertion rate of autograph and memorabilia cards at one of each per boxed set, coupled with the fact Panini has stated print runs of all autograph and memorabilia cards in the set, makes it easy to determine the print runs of the base set and Holofoil parallels, including the First Caps cards.  Per review of the serial numbers and checklist information available online from Panini, we were able to confirm there are exactly 2,636 autograph cards and 2,636 memorabilia cards – these are the sum total of each individual autograph and memorabilia print run.  That also means there are only 2,636 base copies of the 2016 Panini U.S. National Team First Caps #9 Christian Pulisic, likely making the card far rarer than many collectors realize.  Rarer still, however, is the Holographic version of the 2016 Panini U.S. National Team First Caps #9 Christian Pulisic, which is limited to only 280 copies (using the fixed pull rate of seven Holographic cards per boxed set multiplied by 2,636 base sets there is a total universe of 18,452 Holographic cards across all players; dividing this number by the 66 total cards in the set – 50 regular cards plus 16 First Caps cards – there are only 280 Holographic copies of each card).

Both the base and Holographic cards are relatively difficult grades.  As of January 2026, 284 copies of the base card have been graded by PSA, with only 38 PSA 10 grades.  BGS has graded 30 of the base card, with six 9.5 grades and none graded a 10.  SGC has graded 90 base cards, with 27 graded a 10 and 36 graded a 9.5.  CGC has graded four copies, but graded three of these as a gem mint 10 grade.

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With respect to the Holographic, 83 have been graded by PSA with only seven PSA 10 grades.  BGS has graded only three, with two of the three graded 9.5 and one graded 9.  SGC has graded five, four of which are graded 9.5 but none graded 10.  CGC has graded two copies, both receiving an 8.5 grade.