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Cristiano Ronaldo just did what Cristiano Ronaldo does best: defy the passage of time and generate headlines. At 41 years and 147 days old, the Portuguese forward became the oldest player to ever feature in a World Cup knockout match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Trading volumes for Portugal’s $POR fan token have surged during Ronaldo’s matches at the tournament.
The record and the token
Ronaldo had already been rewriting the history books before the knockout stage. During the group phase, he started against DR Congo at 41 years and 132 days, making him the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match.
He’s now one of just three players to compete in six World Cups, sharing that distinction with Lionel Messi and Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
The $POR token, Portugal’s fan token built on the Chiliz blockchain and available through Socios.com, has been the primary crypto beneficiary of Ronaldo’s latest chapter. Launched in 2021, the token has historically shown price fluctuations around major matches, and this tournament has been no exception.
Ronaldo’s complicated crypto history
His partnership with Binance kicked off with the CR7 NFT series in late 2022, timed to coincide with the Qatar World Cup. The collaboration made him one of the highest-profile athletes to endorse a crypto exchange. It also made him a defendant.
Ronaldo is currently facing a class-action lawsuit related to his promotion of Binance NFTs. The case alleges that his endorsement led fans to invest in unregistered securities.
No new blockchain projects or token launches have been connected to Ronaldo’s record-setting knockout appearance. The current cycle feels more organic, driven by existing fan token infrastructure rather than manufactured hype.
FIFA itself has leaned into crypto partnerships for the 2026 tournament, with Kraken serving as a sponsor.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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