EXCLUSIVE: Mark Listwan is a card collector that recently purchased a one-of-one Gold Grail Cristiano Ronaldo card for 11,000 I caught up with the man himself to talk about what it means to meTech16:00, 18 Jan 2025Listwan showing the gold card with a classic Ronaldo Real Madrid shirtBetween Pokemon cards, Magic the Gathering and Disney Lorcana, there's no shortage of cardboard to spend your money on these days.But one collector has gone above and beyond in his pursuit for a 'one-of-one' card featuring his favourite footballer. Mark Listwan, 28, lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and grew up learning about football from his grandfather.After falling in love with football and following Chelsea around 2004, he turned to collecting football cards from Topps, leading to a staggering recent addition to his collection."It was around 2004 that I fell in love with the Chelsea squad," Listwan told the Daily Star.This Chelsea fan spent 11k to earn this one of a kind Ronaldo card"Cech, Lampard, Terry, Carvalho, Makelele, Cole, Robben, Drogba, to name a few, those names stuck out to me. They moved the ball up and down the pitch so effortlessly, scoring incredible goals while also defending so meticulously. The team attracted me in a way no other side could.""On top of all of that, my favourite colour is blue, so I think it was the perfect match. I've been following the team ever since, through thick and thin. A crazy rollercoaster ride is the best way to describe the Mighty Blues."Rollercoaster is right given recent seasons for Chelsea, but that love of football led to Listwan collecting trading cards made by Topps. When the company started a "Grail Chase" competition last year which featured a series of Cristiano Ronaldo cards, Listwan said he "had to go all out", and spent 5,000 on one card."When I had eight of the nine Ronaldo cards registered on the official leaderboard, I knew I had to go all out for the last one," he revealed."5,000 was merely a number in the quest for card-collecting greatness. To pay that much for the final card in the complete set? It was totally worth it."That took his total on acquiring the cards, and earning the one-of-a-kind 'Gold Grail' Ronaldo card to 11,000.The full Ronaldo collection"Who knows what valuation the true Gold Ronaldo can be given at the end of the day? I've heard so many things. six figures, seven figures, you never really know. I'm so extremely delighted with my decision to push through with the competition. I may try to get all 10 cards in a display case in my office. It surely is a sight to behold."Aside from being a self-identifying "completionist", I asked Listwan why he was so drawn to Ronaldo as a player, given he's never played for Chelsea."Ronaldo never had to play for Chelsea to show me that he knew how to play the game so properly," he says."His grit, perseverance, and determination to succeed is what really drew me to him. Everyone faces many obstacles in their lives. The way he has overcome so many challenges presented to him in his career, whether privately or in public, it just shows great character.""Some can disagree, but fighting these hardships are what truly make a person so strong and unique. It would be an absolute honor to meet and have a chat with Ronaldo himself."Despite being a Chelsea fan, Listwan is a huge admirer of RonaldoAs for his collection, Listwan says it's probably worth between 30,000 and 40,000, and says most of the cards are Chelsea players."I've put a lot of effort (and money) into my entire collection, which mainly consists of Chelsea cards, different parallels of base cards found in sets released throughout the past few years, and a lot of Mykhailo Mudryk, who I believe has so much potential for the future."When it comes to getting into collecting and starting out, Listwan says he wants to see more people doing it."I want to see more people collecting, whether that's with cards, memorabilia, coins, stamps, you name it."There is so much to explore. I believe that the realm of the card-collecting hobby is quite peculiar and special to say the least. You learn about different athletes and you find out more about the history of sports. You also end up understanding the true notion behind pulling base cards, inserts, crazy parallels, and whatever else companies like Topps decide to sneakily throw into packs.Article continues below"The grail cards were the perfect example of that. Whether you're collecting cards to give to a friend, as an investment, or even just to pass down to your children so they too can learn about the joys and mysteries of the hobby, everybody's adventure is different and noteworthy."Mark completed Topps The Grail, a competition in which collectors chase nine Cristiano Ronaldo cards in a bid to win prizes. He will receive a hotel, airfare, and two tickets to the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Final in Munich. The first five runners-up will each receive a rare 1/5 card.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED