Suddenly in the Chrome box: El Mala takes the collecting world by storm

Topps spoke with the Cologne high-flyer about his meteoric rise, the call from the national coach, and the feeling of suddenly being a coveted "Rookie Card" himself. There are those moments when a life turns completely within a few months. For Saïd El Mala, the last year was exactly such a rollercoaster ride.

Just a year ago, he was playing in the 3rd league, and today he is one of the most exciting players in the Bundesliga and a so-called "Chase Player" in the brand-new Topps Chrome Bundesliga 2025/26 collection. This means: He is one of the players whose cards collectors worldwide are most intensely chasing. The "RC" Seal: A Knighthood for Collectors In the new collection, which impresses with a completely fresh design and the usual high-quality Chrome technology, talents like El Mala are clearly marked with the RC label (Rookie Card).

The special thing: This logo is only available in the debut season. After that, it disappears – which makes these cards extremely valuable for collectors. For El Mala, all of this is still a bit surreal: "I haven't realized it all yet.

You have to pinch yourself a few times for it to sink in," he admits. That people are now opening boxes specifically to look for him flatters him: "It's a nice feeling that people are so crazy about pulling a card of me. " "We Used to Switch and Trade in School" The passion for Topps is not unfamiliar to El Mala.