Collecting football caps: when fandom becomes a collection
A look at football collecting, cap culture, and the alien-inspired idea behind Ball On Top
Every collection starts with one cap. Sometimes it grows into a mission.
Collecting football caps is nothing new. It has been part of football culture for decades, just like collecting shirts, scarves, old tickets, or pins. Objects become memory: seasons, trips, matches, celebrations, and personal moments connected to a team.
Caps, in particular, combine something practical with something symbolic. They are worn regularly, become part of everyday life, and over time may end up on a shelf as a recognisable piece within a football cap collection. That’s when an accessory starts to function as a collectible.
Collecting football caps as part of being a fan
Football collecting often starts simply: one cap from your own club, bought out of enthusiasm or tied to a specific moment. Then, almost without noticing, other motivations appear: a different edition, a cap linked to a special match, a design from another city, or simply the desire to build a more complete, coherent collection.
Ball On Top is built around that logic. Our caps are designed as club-specific pieces with clear identities, created to live together as part of a series. That’s why, beyond wearing them, many fans begin to see them as collectible football caps.
A team-based series: each cap has its place within the collection.
The alien concept: a narrative to distinguish each team
Our campaign introduces a narrative element inspired by science fiction: each fan base is represented as a distinct alien community, with its own visual identity. The aim isn’t to move away from football, but to use a creative language to express something fans already know well: every club has its own culture, codes, and rituals.
In a collection, this differentiation matters. If you’re looking to collect football team caps, design needs to help you recognise each piece at a glance, without everything feeling like the same product repeated. That’s why we treat each club as a distinct “community,” with its own aesthetic and character, while still belonging to the Ball On Top universe.
From one team cap to a complete collection
One of the most common questions among collectors is where to start. In most cases, the answer is simple: your own club. From there, some fans add a second cap out of football affinity, others for the design, and others simply because they enjoy the challenge of completing the series.
Ball On Top approaches its releases as an open football cap collection. The series grows with new teams and, over time, can expand into new leagues. For collectors, this is part of the appeal: it’s not a closed set, but one that builds season by season.
Many collections are enjoyed twice: when they’re worn and when they’re displayed.
Why caps work so well as collectibles
Within football merchandising, caps have a clear advantage: they are both usable and collectible. They don’t require a specific occasion, don’t take up as much space as other items, and can form a visually coherent series by teams, seasons, or editions.
For many fans, a collection may start with aesthetics and end up carrying emotional value: it represents trips, matches, friendships, and phases of life. That’s why collecting football caps is not just about products, but about football culture.
Ready to start (or complete) your collection?
Discover the caps available now and stay up to date with the next teams joining the collection.