Cristiano Ronaldo is undeniably one of the greatest sportsmen of all time, so, unsurprisingly, his NFT has sold for such a massive amount regardless of the fact he’s sporting the curls of a young John Turturro.
The Portuguese sensation has built a valuable image throughout his illustrious career. He’s transcended football to become an international sensation, with fans happily parting with their hard-earned cash to watch his sensational showings on the field.
Read: Cristiano Ronaldo dropped as children’s charity ambassador after alleged phone incident.
So now that NFTs have risen to prominence, supporters inevitably started spending big money to bag their piece of his digital merchandise. Although the idea of owning the certification of an object or picture hasn’t always worked in the footballing world, it’s no surprise that the six-time Champions League winner is changing the mould.
Cristiano Ronaldo NFT sells for a fortune
In a recent study into sports memorabilia, Bet Victor has looked at every corner of the internet to put together a list of Ronaldo merch up for sale or sold at auction.
| Campaign | Price | Status |
| Golden Boot | £1,500,000.00 | Sold |
| Ballon d’Or Replica | £540,501.00 | Sold |
| 1/1 Ronaldo NFT | £222,333.82 | Sold |
| Ronaldo Panini Card | £61,333.47 | Sold |
| 2002-03 Panini Futebol CR #306 | £44,466.00 | Auction |
| 2002-03 Panini Futebol CR #137 | £42,166.00 | Sold |
| 2003 Ronaldo Man United | £9,315.00 | Auction |
| Signed Ronaldo Boot CL Winner | £1,750.00 | Auction |
| 2006 Panini Ronaldo World Cup | £256.00 | Auction |
| 2006 Panini FIFA WC CR/Beck/Ibra | £230.00 | Auction |
Their study found that the first-ever Ronaldo 1/1 NFT sold for a whopping £222,333. The non-fungible token featured an image of the sportsman during the 2020-21 season, where he played for Juventus. In confirming the purchase on Sorare, the buyer bagged the only version of the item in the entire world.
Bet Victor’s research discovered that the most expensive merch on the list sold for an enormous £1.5 million in 2012. Ronaldo hit the back of the net on 40 different occasions for Real Madrid in 2010-11. This earned him the Golden Boot award, which he would later sell for an astonishing fee at an auction.
However, there’s one item on the list that looks like the coolest of them all. The Portuguese icon has always produced the goods in Europe. Whether heading the ball home in the 2008-09 final or hitting the back of the net with an absolute thunderbolt against Porto, he’s renowned for rising to the occasion. Therefore, it only makes sense for his achievement in the competition to be celebrated in the form of an NFT.
After winning the UCL with United in Moscow, a fan bought his boot for £1,750.
Cristiano Ronaldo looks like John Turturro
£222,333 is a monstrous amount of money to spend on anything, never mind something that you can’t hold in the palm of your hand. But considering there’s only one 1/1 Ronaldo NFT on the entire planet, we can (sort of0 understand why the digital connoisseur willingly departed with so much money to add his to his collection.
However, before buying the item, there’s one thing he should’ve taken into consideration. In the Ronaldo NFT, the winger strikes an uncanny likeness to Hollywood legend John Turturro. The above image was supplied by BetVictor.
Although the actor has gone greyer in his older years, the celebrity became well renowned for his magnificent barnet in the movie’ Rounders’ as well as a variety of classic hits. The 65-year-old possesses both American and Italian citizenship. So bearing in mind Ronaldo was playing in Serie A at the time, perhaps his iconic trim was a tribute to one of his favourite performers.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
