Binance Pens Exclusive NFT Partnerships With Cristiano Ronaldo

Global crypto exchange Binance has signed an exclusive partnership with Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to launch a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). According to Binance's announcement, Binance and Cristiano Ronaldo will create a series of NFTs that will sell exclusively on the Binance NFT platform with initial collectables slated to be released later this year. The aim is to introduce the Manchester United star player's fans to Web 3 and make their entrance into the world of NFTs easier.

Changpeng Zhao, the CEO and founder of Binance, praised Ronaldo's accomplishments in soccer and mentioned that the athlete has "transcended sport to become an icon in multiple industries." Zhao mentioned that the football superstar “has amassed one of the world's most dedicated fan bases through his authenticity, talent and charity work.”

Zhao also added that the Binance team is excited to give Ronaldo fans "exclusive engagement opportunities to connect with Ronaldo" as they own pieces of the NFT collections.

Commenting on the partnership, Ronaldo stated that the NFT space is a key element in connecting with his fans. "My relationship with the fans is very important to me, so the idea of bringing unprecedented experiences and access through this NFT platform is something that I wanted to be a part of. I know the fans are going to enjoy the collection as much as I do,” said Ronaldo.

Notably, Ronaldo joins a host of athletes and sports entities globally, hopping on the NFT trend in a bid to sustain engagement with fans. The announcement also underlines Binance's commitment to supporting global football, complementing existing partnerships with the Argentine Football Association, the Brazilian Football Confederation as well as professional sports clubs S.S. Lazio and FC Porto.

This is not Ronaldo's first rodeo in the cryptocurrency space either. Back in March, Ronaldo was awarded crypto tokens for his achievements in the sport. The soccer star was given JUV tokens, the official fan token of Juventus FC, for every senior career goal that he scored.

Furthermore, the English Premier League (EPL) — a league that Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays in, also filed two trademark applications to increase interactions with fans.