Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has launched his fourth non-fungible token (NFT) collection in collaboration with the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
The new collection, scheduled to debut on May 29 on the Binance NFT Marketplace, will celebrate Ronaldo's career under the theme ‘Forever Worldwide: The Road to Saudi Arabia’. The collection chronicles Ronaldo's journey from his beginnings in Madeira to his current status as a global football icon.
The exact number of NFTs in the new collection will be disclosed at launch. While pricing details remain undisclosed, Binance has indicated that all "Normal NFTs' ' will be uniformly priced, whereas the "final Super Rare NFT' ' will have a distinct price point.
Ronaldo's partnership with Binance has not been without its challenges. The football star is currently embroiled in a class-action lawsuit in a United States district court in Florida, stemming from his earlier involvement in NFT sales with Binance.
The plaintiffs claim that Ronaldo's endorsement influenced their investment decisions, leading to substantial financial losses. They are seeking damages in excess of $1 billion.
The ‘Forever Worldwide: The Road to Saudi Arabia’ collection features NFTs representing major locations in Ronaldo’s career. The artworks are created by artists with personal connections to these locations.
"I'm excited that this new NFT collection with Binance offers fans pieces of my journey throughout my football story,” said Ronaldo. “Each place in 'Forever Worldwide: The Road to Saudi Arabia' means a lot to me personally, and I can't wait for fans to see my career's big moments through this special artwork collection."
Sarah Dale, Head of Brand Partnerships at Binance, highlighted the collaboration's significance, stating, “Cristiano Ronaldo's journey has inspired fans worldwide. This NFT collection, created with the best rewards for sports fans, opens new horizons for NFT utility and fan engagement.”
The NFT collection will be released in two drops during the upcoming football season, culminating in a special auction in June for a limited collection of super rare (SSR) NFTs.
Launching tomorrow, the first drop includes NFTs representing Madeira, Lisbon, and Manchester. Artists will highlight Ronaldo's beginnings in Madeira and Lisbon, and then his rise in Manchester. Meanwhile, the second drop will depict Ronaldo's success in Madrid, Pasquale Garibaldi and also capture his recent chapter in Saudi Arabia.
In mid-June, a limited collection of seven SSR NFTs designed by local artist Mr. Dheo will be available via an online auction from June 14 to 18. Moreover, fans who collect all NFTs from Drop 4 will benefit from a 'Collect to Earn' mechanism, providing rewards such as vintage jerseys, football tickets, signed posters, and personalized video responses from Ronaldo.