Cristiano Ronaldo Named Global Ambassador for 2025 Esports World Cup

Football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Saudi club Al-Nasr, has been unveiled as the Global Ambassador for the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025. The landmark tournament, organized by the Esports World Cup Foundation, will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7th to August 24th next year.

Ronaldo’s appointment brings unparalleled global recognition to the event, billed as the largest esports gathering in history. The EWC 2025 aims to unite over 2,000 professional gamers and 200 clubs representing more than 100 countries. The competition will feature 25 tournaments across 24 of the world’s most popular video games, all vying for a share of a record-shattering prize pool exceeding $70 million.

The tournament will be hosted at Riyadh’s Boulevard City. In his role as ambassador, Cristiano Ronaldo will serve as the face of the EWC’s international media campaign, actively participate in promotional activities leading up to and during the event, and even make a special appearance as a playable character in the highly anticipated fighting game “FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves.”

Organizers anticipate that involving one of the world’s most recognizable athletes, with a combined social media following exceeding 1 billion people, will significantly broaden the appeal of esports and attract vast new audiences to the competitive gaming scene.

Hosting the Esports World Cup is a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious national strategy to transform the Kingdom into a premier global hub for the gaming industry and digital entertainment. This initiative, part of the broader “Vision 2030” plan for economic diversification, seeks to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position in high technology, culture, and sports on the international stage. Ronaldo’s high-profile ambassadorship underscores the Kingdom’s commitment and the scale of its investment in becoming a central player in the future of esports.

Source: Arabian Business