Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that Portugal’s last-16 loss to Spain was his final World Cup match, closing the book on one of the most decorated international careers in soccer history. But while the goals stop, his entanglement with the crypto industry is far from over.
Ronaldo’s departure from the world’s biggest sporting stage creates a fascinating case study in what happens to athlete-linked digital assets when the athlete steps back. Between his official Binance NFT collections, Portugal’s $POR fan token, a swarm of unauthorized meme coins, and a billion-dollar class-action lawsuit, there’s a lot to unpack.
The Binance partnership and CR7 NFTs
Ronaldo’s relationship with Binance dates back to 2022, when the world’s largest crypto exchange signed a multi-year deal with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. The partnership produced multiple CR7 NFT collections, each designed to offer holders more than just a JPEG of Ronaldo’s face.
These collections included utility features like match tickets, exclusive merchandise, and unique fan experiences. In English: owning one of these NFTs was supposed to feel less like buying a digital trading card and more like joining an exclusive club.
