Cristiano Ronaldo unveils NFT series with Binance capturing career highlights
Cristiano Ronaldo will continue his Web3 foray by launching a new nonfungible token (NFT) collection with Binance commemorating his path from humble beginnings to football stardom.
The collection, dubbed “Forever Worldwide: The Road to Saudi Arabia” will feature a series of NFT collectibles representing Ronaldo’s journey from a teenage prodigy in Madeira to his pivotal impact at Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Introducing my newest NFT collection which launches today on #Binance.
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) May 29, 2024
Forever Worldwide: The Road to Saudi Arabia celebrates my football journey, with artwork created by artists in Portugal, Manchester, Madrid, Turin and Saudi Arabia.
To find out more click here:… pic.twitter.com/84hWreGj3e
Cointelegraph unpacked the finer details of the new project in an interview with Binance’s head of brand partnerships, Sarah Dale. The exchange collaborated with local artists from Madeira, Lisbon, Manchester, Madrid, Turin, Saudi Arabia and Portugal to contribute unique designs for each NFT.
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A statement from Ronaldo highlighted the goal of the collection was to give fans unique digital artworks representing memorable stages of his career and serve as a mechanism to give his biggest fans exclusive experiences:
“Working with artists who really capture the feeling from each place makes this experience even more sentimental, and as NFTs, these moments in my journey can live on forever.”
Dale told Cointelegraph that Ronaldo has been intimately involved with fan interactions and activations in previous collaborations. The new collection will also allow certain NFT holders to create a celebratory moment with Ronaldo on set in person in Riyadh.
“He loves meeting with his fans. We prepare him with scripts, but he really does go off-script and engages with his fans. I think his happiest time on set was when his fans were there last time,” Dale said.
The “Forever Worldwide” Ronaldo collection is set to launch in two phases ahead of the 2024/2025 football season — the first collection launched on May 29 featuring NFT artworks from Madeira, Lisbon and Manchester.
Artwork from artists Katt Phatt (representing Madeira) and Rodrigo Doin (Lisbon) represents Ronaldo’s early career. Manchester artist John Sheehan’s artwork pays homage to Ronaldo’s stellar seasons with the Red Devils.
A second NFT drop is set for June 6 and includes artwork representing Madrid, Turin and Saudi Arabia. These NFTs were designed by Spanish artist Lisett Ledón (Madrid), Italian artist Pasquale Garibaldi (Turin), and Saudi artist Shaker Kashgari representing Ronaldo’s current stint at Al-Nassr FC.
Seven “super, super rare NFTs” are set to go on auction later in June. The limited edition collection is designed by Portuguese street artist Mr. Dheo and commemorates Ronaldo’s long-standing career with his national side.
The NFT collections come with a host of real-word rewards, including vintage jerseys, football tickets, signed posters. Some collectors will be able to submit questions for Cristiano to answer in personalized videos for specific NFT holders.
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Dale also highlighted that the seven super rare Portugal NFTs accompany an exclusive in-person experience with Ronaldo. This includes a trip to Riyadh to attend a match, followed by a personalized goal celebration moment on set with the star.
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