Pokémon cards come back to McDonald’s Happy Meals in the US on November 10, 2026, as part of the Pokémon 30th anniversary. Every Happy Meal comes with one of 15 small toys and a pack of 2 promo cards. There are 15 cards in all, and 7 of them are foil.
Here are the dates for your country, all 15 cards, what past McDonald’s cards sell for, and which ones are worth keeping.
Quick answer: US Happy Meals have the cards from Nov 10 to Dec 14, 2026 (Canada has them from Nov 3, Australia from Nov 5). You get 2 random cards per meal. The 7 foils are Chandelure, Palafin, Pikachu, Mimikyu, Lucario, Tyranitar and Jirachi. Past McDonald’s cards sell for $0.30 to $6.30 each, so collect them for fun, not as an investment.
McDonald’s Pokémon cards 2026 at a glance
| US dates | Nov 10 to Dec 14, 2026 (while supplies last) |
|---|---|
| Canada | Nov 3 to Dec 7, 2026 |
| Australia | Nov 5 to Dec 9, 2026 |
| In each Happy Meal | 1 of 15 toys + a pack of 2 cards |
| Cards in the set | 15 (7 foil, 8 non-foil) |
| Rest of the world | 43 countries in December, 23 in January 2027, UK and Ireland in February 2027 |
| What past cards sell for | $0.31 to $6.29 each, sealed packs about $8 to $9 (TCGplayer, Nov 4, 2026) |
Prices move fast. Follow @HelloNerdsnack on X for price drops and new chase cards.
When do McDonald’s Pokémon cards come out?
The US promo starts on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. McDonald’s confirmed the date itself, and store schedules shared by PokéBeach show it running until Monday, December 14. Like every Happy Meal promo, it can end early at a store that runs out of toys.
This is a worldwide promo. The Pokémon Company lists 75 countries, starting in three different months:
| Starts | Where |
|---|---|
| November 2026 | US (Nov 10), Canada (Nov 3), Australia (Nov 5), New Zealand, Fiji, France, Spain |
| December 2026 | 43 countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the UAE and Vietnam |
| January 2027 | 23 countries, including Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, the Philippines and Thailand |
| February 2027 | United Kingdom and Ireland |
If you’re in the UK, you have the longest wait. US cards will be in collectors’ hands for three months before your promo starts, so expect UK eBay listings long before February.
What’s in a Pokémon Happy Meal
Each Happy Meal comes in a Pikachu, Umbreon or Torchic box. Inside, you get one of 15 toys. Each toy is a tiny Happy Meal box shaped like a Pokémon, such as Pikachu, Rowlet or Sprigatito, and it clips onto a bag as a charm.
- 2 cards per meal. The toy’s cardboard packaging holds a pack of 2 random promo cards from the 15-card set.
- The toy doubles as a card stand. The back of the mini box works as a frame for one card.
- A QR code game. Scanning the code opens a “find all 15 toys” game.
- Quebec and Norway are different. They get 4-card packs instead of plastic toys.
Two cards a meal means you need at least 8 meals to finish the set, and far more in practice because the cards are random. Trading with friends is the fastest way to finish.
All 15 McDonald’s Pokémon cards (2026)
This is the full 2026 list, as shared by VICE and PokéBeach. It matches the cards in McDonald’s own preview, which showed Jirachi, Pikachu and Absol. The ★ marks the 7 foil cards.
| # | Pokémon | Foil? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Decidueye | No |
| 2 | Chandelure | ★ Foil |
| 3 | Palafin | ★ Foil |
| 4 | Pikachu | ★ Foil |
| 5 | Mimikyu | ★ Foil |
| 6 | Lucario | ★ Foil |
| 7 | Hawlucha | No |
| 8 | Tyranitar | ★ Foil |
| 9 | Absol | No |
| 10 | Zoroark | No |
| 11 | Metagross | No |
| 12 | Jirachi | ★ Foil |
| 13 | Eevee | No |
| 14 | Snorlax | No |
| 15 | Wooloo | No |
The Pokémon Company describes it as “15 total cards to discover, including seven foil cards,” which matches the 7 foils above. We’ll add photos of the real cards once they’re out of the packs on November 10.
Wait, why did I see Bulbasaur and Squirtle?
If you saw a list that starts with Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, that’s next year’s set. On October 29, The Pokémon Company posted card images with a ©2027 date and an “M27” set stamp, then deleted the post. Wargamer and PokéBeach both caught it. A lot of sites shared that list as this year’s cards.
The 2027 set has 15 cards too: Bulbasaur, Rowlet, Sprigatito, Charmander, Torchic, Squirtle, Piplup, Pikachu, Raichu, Clefairy, Slowpoke, Marill, Gengar, Eevee and Snorlax. Most of them reuse older art. The Squirtle is new, drawn by Kariya, with an attack called Splatter. You won’t find these in 2026 Happy Meals.
Four of the 2027 cards that were posted by mistake. Look for the ©2027 date and the M27 stamp at the bottom. Image: The Pokémon Company
Are McDonald’s Pokémon cards worth anything?
Not much, and that’s fine. We checked what the last three US promos sell for on TCGplayer today. Even the Pikachus, which are the best sellers every year, go for a few dollars.
| Promo year | Card or product | TCGplayer market |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 (25th Anniversary) | Pikachu 25/25 | $3.52 |
| 2021 | Squirtle | $1.30 |
| 2021 | Bulbasaur | $1.09 |
| 2021 | Sealed 4-card pack | $8.45 |
| 2022 | Pikachu 7/15 | $6.29 |
| 2022 | Ledyba | $0.31 |
| 2024 | Dragonite | $6.11 |
| 2024 | Pikachu | $3.57 |
| 2024 | Charizard | $2.67 |
| 2024 | Rayquaza | $1.32 |
| 2024 | Sealed Match & Battle Pack | $8.93 |
Prices: TCGplayer market price, checked November 4, 2026.
The 2021 promo is the one people remember. Adults bought Happy Meals by the bag for the 25th Anniversary cards, and many stores ran out early. Five years later, its Pikachu sells for about $3.50. Huge print runs keep McDonald’s cards cheap, and the 2026 set will be printed for 75 countries.
Our take: the 2026 cards will probably follow the same path. Expect a short spike in the first week, when people list singles at silly prices, then a slide to a dollar or two. If you want a full set, wait until after December 14 and buy it from a seller then.
Which McDonald’s Pokémon cards to keep
Every card is worth keeping if your kid loves it. If you’re collecting, these are the ones we’d put in a sleeve first:
- Pikachu (foil, #4). The Pikachu is the most wanted card in every McDonald’s set, and it held its value best in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
- Jirachi (foil, #12). It’s a Mythical Pokémon, and it’s one of the three cards McDonald’s chose for its own preview.
- Mimikyu (foil, #5). A fan favorite with a big following among adult collectors.
- Lucario (foil, #6). Lucario is having a big year in the main card game, with Mega Lucario in the upcoming Aura Seeker set.
- Tyranitar (foil, #8). A popular old-school pick, and one of the cards The Pokémon Company showed in its announcement.
Two quick tips. Put foils in a penny sleeve the day you open them, because Happy Meal packs scuff easily in a bag. And if you’re chasing a full set, swap your doubles with friends before you buy singles online.
Updated November 4, 2026. We’ll update this page on November 10, when the US promo starts, with photos of the real cards.
Want more McDonald’s Pokémon cards?
Read next: Pokémon Delta Reign Pull Rates · Best Delta Reign Cards to Play · Pokémon Aura Seeker (Mega Lucario Z ex) · Best Pokémon Card Binders
Sources: release dates and the 2026 card list from VICE (Oct 30, 2026), citing PokéBeach store schedules. Country rollout and Happy Meal contents from The Pokémon Company, via PokeGuardian (Oct 29, 2026). The 2027 set mix-up from Wargamer (Oct 30, 2026). Past promo prices from TCGplayer (Nov 4, 2026).
Snack break: hungry after all that reading? Sakuraco ships a box of traditional Japanese sweets and tea to your door every month. See this month’s box →
Add NerdSnack as a preferred source on Google
The Weekly Pull
The biggest card price moves, every Friday.
The cards that jumped or crashed in price this week, plus what’s releasing next. Sign up and get our free Black Friday 2026 price-to-beat cheat sheet. Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Related Posts:
Talk to us
Got a card, a tip or a request? Email us.
A real person reads every message at hello@nerdsnack.com, and we usually reply within 1–2 business days.
Prefer a form? Use our contact page.
TCGPlayer has the best prices on Magic, Pokemon, Dragon Ball, and Riftbound singles — with seller ratings and buyer protection.
