Legendary football star Cristiano Ronaldo has officially entered the world of artificial intelligence by investing in Perplexity AI and announcing a long-term brand collaboration. Perplexity AI, founded by Aravind Srinivas, confirmed the partnership on and introduced a special digital experience called Perplexity x CR7.
This collaboration is being talked about across tech and sports communities because it mixes AI innovation with Ronaldo’s global influence. The company says Ronaldo already uses Perplexity for important moments such as major speeches and announcements.
Why did Cristiano Ronaldo invest in Perplexity AI?
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ronaldo said curiosity has played a major role in his success and that Perplexity AI supports this mindset by helping users find accurate answers. He described the investment as “just the beginning of something bigger.” Perplexity emphasised that Ronaldo’s focus on continuous improvement fits the platform’s goal — providing a smarter answer engine for people who expect high-quality information.
What is the Perplexity x CR7 experience?
What is the CR7 digital hub?
The Perplexity x CR7 hub brings nearly 20 years of Ronaldo’s football journey into one interactive place. It is described as an immersive, fan-focused digital space where users can explore curated content about Ronaldo’s career.
- Rare and unseen career images
- Curated questions about Ronaldo’s achievements
- Past goals and milestone moments
- Personalised content and stories
Users can navigate the hub like a digital museum. Perplexity has said more experiences, exclusive items, and engagement tools will be added over the length of the partnership. The hub is available at the official Perplexity landing page for Ronaldo: Perplexity x CR7.
How does this affect Perplexity AI?
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most followed public figures in the world — with a social reach that crosses a billion followers across major platforms. His public involvement as both a user and investor could dramatically increase Perplexity’s visibility and bring new users to the product.
The company already has several growth signals:
- Reached a reported $20 billion valuation in September.
- Raised significant venture funding, including a $200 million round.
- Has strategic support from major AI and hardware partners, including NVIDIA.
Experts note that Ronaldo’s endorsement—combined with an actual investment—signals deeper alignment than a simple influencer sponsorship. Fans and casual users may be more likely to try Perplexity because of Ronaldo’s personal use and public recommendation.
What new AI features is Perplexity launching?
Perplexity introduces conversational shopping
Prior to the Ronaldo announcement, Perplexity rolled out an AI shopping assistant in the U.S. on desktop and web, with mobile app rollouts following. Key aspects of this shopping assistant include:
- Personalised product suggestions via natural language prompts.
- Memory of previous searches and user preferences to tailor recommendations.
- A reduction in ad-first results — recommendations prioritise fit over advertiser placement.
- A partnership with PayPal to process payments while keeping retailers as merchant of record, preserving merchant visibility into transactions.
Perplexity says customers who use the conversational shopping experience show higher purchase intent, a point that could help monetize expanded traffic from celebrity partnerships.
Why is this partnership important?
The collaboration ties together themes of ambition, continual improvement, and high performance — values shared by both Ronaldo and Perplexity. Rather than a standard endorsement, this deal includes investment, product integration, and a branded digital hub. Ronaldo has previously credited Perplexity for helping craft a prepared acceptance speech, which the company highlights as a real-world use-case.
Key highlights from the partnership
How will Ronaldo's fan base boost Perplexity?
His enormous social reach can quickly bring millions of new users and drive mainstream interest in Perplexity’s tools.
What does the CR7 hub offer right now?
Curated questions, rare images, highlights of goals and achievements, and biographical insights presented in an interactive format.
Will new merchandise launch through this hub?
Perplexity confirmed plans for exclusive collectibles and experiences across the partnership timeline.
Why is this move different from normal influencer deals?
Ronaldo has invested capital and is a public user; the partnership includes product experiences and deeper integration rather than a traditional one-off sponsorship.
Final takeaway
Cristiano Ronaldo stepping into the AI space with an investment in Perplexity marks a notable shift in how public figures engage with technology. The Perplexity x CR7 hub is designed to evolve, offering fans and newcomers a mix of interactivity, exclusive content, and commerce. For Perplexity, the partnership brings both attention and potential user growth at a critical moment of expansion.
This collaboration signals how sports, technology, and personalised digital content can merge — and shows Ronaldo positioning himself early in that transformation.
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