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Rookie Report Spotlight: Rayan Cherki

Or Bonder
May 1, 2026

Rayan Cherki Rookie Report (2019-2022)

Born: 17 August 2003 Birthplace: Lyon, France Height: 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)

Rayan Cherki is widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted prospects to emerge from France in the last decade. A product of the legendary Olympique Lyonnais academy, Cherki made his professional debut at the tender age of 16. Known for his elite dribbling and being genuinely ambipedal, he has been a “hobby darling” since his first cards appeared on the market.

For collectors, Cherki’s card history is unique because his first licensed cards appeared two years before his official “RC” badge sets. This report covers the full journey from his 2019 debut to his flagship 2021-22 rookie releases.

2019-20 Topps Now UEFA Champions League

Release Date: August 2020 Card #077 (Debut Card) This is the absolute first licensed card of Rayan Cherki. It commemorates his early appearances in the Champions League at age 16. While it does not carry an RC badge, it is considered his “XRC” (Extended Rookie Card) and is a foundational piece for any Cherki collection.

2020-21 Early Domestic Releases

Before his official

hobby rookie year, Cherki appeared in several mass market sets in France. These are the earliest domestic items available and are highly popular with European collectors.

2020-21 Panini Foot Stickers #208
2020-21 Panini Adrenalyn XL Ligue 1 #149
2020-21 Panini Adrenalyn XL Ligue 1 #416 (Diamond)

2021-22 Topps Merlin UEFA

Release Date: Sep 14, 2022 Base Rookie #59 This is the Official Flagship Rookie Card. It carries the “RC” badge and represents the gold standard for Cherki collectors. Topps Merlin is highly respected for its design and scarcity, making these parallels the most sought after cards in his catalog.

Numbered Parallels

Pink Mojo /275
Atomic /250
Yellow Wave /225
Aqua Speckle /199
Aqua /199
Speckle /150
Green Mojo /99
Green /99
Blue Shimmer /75
Blue /75
Gold Atomic /50
Gold /50
Orange Mojo /25
Orange /25
Purple Wave /15
Purple /15
Red /10
Red Wave /5
Superfractor 1/1

Total Numbered Cards: 1,842 Total 1/1 Cards: 1

2021-22 Topps Merlin UEFA – Inserts

Cherki also features in two premium insert sets within the Merlin product, adding further scarcity to his rookie portfolio.

Renaissance (#R-9) The Renaissance is a legendary “Case Hit” style insert. It is highly coveted for its artistic design and extremely low pull rates.

Red /10, Superfractor 1/1
Total Numbered: 11

U23 Stars (#U23-5) This subset highlights the elite young talent in European football, cementing Cherki’s status as a top tier prospect.

Gold /50, Orange /25, Red /10, Superfractor 1/1
Total Numbered: 86

2021-22 Limited & Print to Order Releases

These cards bridge the gap between mass market and high end hobby, featuring specifically tracked print runs.

Topps Total Football – 1st Edition

#503 Base (
#561 VV

Topps Now UEFA Europa League

#021 (PR472)

Total Rayan Cherki Numbered Supply

After combining the official 2021-22 serial numbered hobby cards and his limited “1st Edition” releases:

Total Numbered/Limited Rookie Cards: 2,014 (Excluding the 2019 Topps Now PR and unnumbered stickers/Adrenalyn)

Total One of One Cards: 3

Collector Insight

Modern rookies are often “over printed” across dozens of brands, sometimes resulting in tens of thousands of numbered cards. Rayan Cherki’s true hobby scarcity is remarkably tight. His primary market is almost entirely concentrated within the 2021-22 Merlin UEFA product.

With a total numbered supply of just over 2,200 cards, Cherki’s rookie catalog is significantly rarer than many of his peers. This allows collectors to navigate his market easily, focusing on high grade parallels of a single flagship set.

Absolutely — the bonus is the knowledge, not the Score set itself.

Here is the cleaner version:

Additional Collector Knowledge: 2022-23 Score Ligue 1 Rookie Badge Confusion

One important detail for collectors to understand is the 2022-23 Score Ligue 1 release.

Many people may look at this set and call it a Rayan Cherki rookie because of the rookie style labeling and the Hot Rookies insert. But this is where the timeline matters.

Cherki’s true first licensed card is still the 2019-20 Topps Now UEFA Champions League #077. That is the card that starts his licensed card history.

His real flagship RC badge hobby card is the 2021-22 Topps Merlin UEFA #59, which was released in September 2022.

The 2022-23 Score Ligue 1 set came later, in March 2023. So while Score is a very cool and collectible Cherki release, especially because it includes multiple low numbered parallels and rookie style appeal, it should not be treated as his first rookie card.

For me, Score is best viewed as an additional rookie era release — important for the checklist, fun for collectors, but not ahead of 2019 Topps Now or 2021-22 Merlin in the rookie timeline.

2022-23 Score Ligue 1 — Rayan Cherki Checklist

Main Card: #89 Rayan Cherki

Red Swirl /65
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Red Swirl #89 Rayan Cherki

Blue Laser /60
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Blue Laser #89 Rayan Cherki

Bronze Swirl /55
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Bronze Swirl #89 Rayan Cherki

Pink Swirl /45
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Pink Swirl #89 Rayan Cherki

Orange Lasers /35
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Orange Lasers #89 Rayan Cherki

Silver Swirl /25
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Silver Swirl #89 Rayan Cherki

Purple Lasers /15
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Purple Lasers #89 Rayan Cherki

Gold Swirl /10
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Gold Swirl #89 Rayan Cherki

Green Lasers /5
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Green Lasers #89 Rayan Cherki

Black Lasers 1/1
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Black Lasers #89 Rayan Cherki

Black Swirl 1/1
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Black Swirl #89 Rayan Cherki

Non-Numbered Versions

2022-23 Score Ligue 1 #89 Rayan Cherki
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Lasers #89 Rayan Cherki
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Swirl #89 Rayan Cherki

Hot Rookies Insert: #6 Rayan Cherki

Purple Lasers /15
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Hot Rookies Purple Lasers #6 Rayan Cherki

Gold Swirl /10
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Hot Rookies Gold Swirl #6 Rayan Cherki

Black Lasers 1/1
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Hot Rookies Black Lasers #6 Rayan Cherki

Black Swirl 1/1
2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Hot Rookies Black Swirl #6 Rayan Cherki

Non-Numbered Version

2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Hot Rookies #6 Rayan Cherki

Next Up Insert

2022-23 Score Ligue 1 – Next Up #4 Rayan Cherki

Score Ligue 1 Numbered Supply

Total Score Ligue 1 Cherki variations listed: 20
Total numbered variations: 15
Total non-numbered cards/inserts: 5
Total numbered cards: 344
Total one-of-one cards: 4

Collector Insight

The 2022-23 Score Ligue 1 release is important to mention because it can confuse collectors who only look for the rookie badge like Immaculate 2020 Saka and Haaland and ferran torres and more . It has rookie badge , low numbered parallels, and four total one of ones, but it came after Cherki’s true first card and after his flagship Merlin rookie.

That does not make Score unimportant. It just means collectors should understand where it fits.

The 2019 Topps Now #077 is the true first.
The 2021-22 Topps Merlin UEFA #59 is the flagship RC badge rookie.
The 2022-23 Score Ligue 1 cards are additional rookie era collectibles with strong parallel appeal, but they are not the starting point of the Cherki rookie timeline.

Final Thoughts

Cherki remains one of the most technically gifted players in the world for his age. While the hobby has followed him since his 2019 debut, his official 2021-22 Merlin cards remain the definitive investment pieces. If he secures a high profile move to a club like Real Madrid or Liverpool, the extremely limited supply of his numbered rookie cards could lead to a significant market surge. For the serious collector, the 2019 Topps Now is the “True First,” but the 2021 Merlin Gold /50 or lower are the crown jewels of his rookie run.