Lionel Messi — 2025 Inception MLS

Lionel Messi — 2025 Inception MLS Base Red

Inception MLS 2025 is one of the year's most coveted soccer sets, and this base version Red parallel of Messi's flagship card commands serious money—$450 raw is premium territory for an ungraded modern card. Inception's limited production and design prestige mean even base parallels hold value, and Messi's MLS chapter remains a major storyline for collectors. The Red parallel adds scarcity without being ultra-rare, positioning it as the sweet spot between accessibility and exclusivity that serious hobbyists chase.

At $450 raw, you're paying for both the card's condition and the market's confidence in Inception's longevity. Grading to PSA 9 or PSA 10 would almost certainly push value higher, but the grade premium on a modern card in this price range is often modest—maybe 15–25% bump to a 9, and 35–50% to a gem 10—unless the raw card is genuinely mint. The real question is whether the card's current condition justifies paying for grading fees; if it's already clean, professional grading could be worthwhile.

This card matters to Inception completists and Messi collectors who want his MLS era represented in high-end parallels, making it a solid hold for anyone building a serious modern set portfolio.