Some football collections take up entire rooms. Others can squeeze a fairly respectable midfield onto a windowsill.
That was the charm of Corinthian figures. Oversized heads, tiny boots and enough personality to make you care about a footballer standing completely still. A good one could bring back a favourite kit, a brilliant goal or an afternoon spent watching Italian football when you probably had homework to do.
Choosing the best ten is asking for an argument, of course. This selection favours character, football memories and the appeal of the figure itself. Rarity can have the afternoon off.
10. Hidetoshi Nakata — Perugia, ProStars Series 4
There is something wonderfully specific about a Nakata figure in a Perugia shirt.
It takes you straight into the world of Italian football when even a mid-table fixture seemed to contain someone worth watching. For a collection dominated by the usual big clubs, this is a welcome change of scenery.
A little less obvious, and all the better for it. Buy Here
9. Patrick Kluivert — Barcelona, ProStars Series 4
Kluivert in Barcelona colours belongs in any collection with a soft spot for late-nineties football.
The appeal is easy to understand: a familiar player, a memorable shirt and that pleasing connection to a period when Barcelona’s attacking options were an excellent reason to stay in and watch television.
Put him beside Rivaldo and suddenly you are wondering who else you need to complete the side.
8. Steven Gerrard — Liverpool, Classics Series 1
Some figures earn their place through an unusual hairstyle. Gerrard has the Liverpool shirt and captain’s armband.
That combination does plenty of the work. It gives the figure a clear identity and makes it a natural centrepiece for a Liverpool display.
There is also something fitting about having a tiny Gerrard overseeing the rest of the collection. You suspect he would have opinions about its organisation.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo — Portugal Away, Collector Club Special Edition
An early Ronaldo figure has a different appeal from one depicting the established superstar.
It recalls the younger player: quick feet, endless stepovers and defenders beginning to realise they were in for a long afternoon.
The Portugal away version gives this selection a welcome alternative to another familiar club shirt. It represents a chapter of his career that is easy to enjoy revisiting.
6. Ronaldinho — Brazil, Classics Series 1
Ronaldinho is an obvious choice for a format built around personality.
Even the idea of putting him on a shelf feels slightly unreasonable. Here was a footballer who made standing still seem like a wasted opportunity.
In Brazil colours, the figure brings back the tricks, the cheek and the sense that something ridiculous might happen whenever he received the ball. Every collection needs a bit of that.
5. Roberto Carlos — Brazil, ProStars Series 4
A tiny Roberto Carlos is a pleasing contradiction. There was very little about his football that felt small.
The Brazil shirt immediately brings to mind those surging runs and free kicks that encouraged an entire generation to attempt the impossible in the park.
Most of those attempts ended somewhere near a hedge. The figure is considerably easier to keep under control.
4. Rivaldo — Barcelona, ProStars Series 4
Rivaldo is a strong choice for anyone whose football nostalgia comes with a Barcelona shirt attached.
His inclusion also helps make Series 4 particularly tempting. Alongside Kluivert and Roberto Carlos, he gives collectors several excellent reasons to start browsing for just one more figure.
We all know how that tends to end.
3. Ronaldo — Barcelona, World Club Legends
Brazilian Ronaldo in a Barcelona kit is difficult to leave out.
This version recalls the young striker whose acceleration seemed deeply unfair on everyone attempting to stop him. Before the later career chapters, there was that exhilarating Barcelona spell.
As a display choice, it has a clear advantage: one glance at the shirt and you know exactly which Ronaldo memories you are reaching for.
2. Eric Cantona — Manchester United, Headliners
Cantona and Corinthian feel like a particularly good match.
The figures were caricatures, and few footballers offered more character to work with. A Manchester United collection without him would feel as though someone important had wandered off.
He also represents much of what makes the earlier figures appealing. They have a straightforward charm that can survive years on a shelf and the occasional disagreement about who deserves pride of place.
1. Carlos Valderrama — Colombia, Classics Series 1
The hair certainly helps.
Valderrama has the kind of instantly recognisable appearance that makes perfect sense as a Corinthian figure. Add Colombia’s colours and you have a player who can command attention without occupying much shelf space.
But the attraction goes beyond the hairstyle. He brings back a distinctive football personality, and the figure feels like a celebration of everything that made these little collectibles enjoyable.
For this list, that earns him first place.
There will always be a case for picking your club captain, a childhood favourite or the figure you spent years trying to find. That is part of the fun.
Which one would you put at number one—and whose omission is completely unforgivable?
Author: swoosh0018
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