- A video has been circulating since early July, using altered audio to make Cristiano Ronaldo appear to endorse a crypto token called USWR.
- It was confirmed to be a deepfake created from a real World Cup interview.
- AI-cloned celebrity endorsements are cheap to make and route money into transactions that cannot be reversed.
In a video that has been going around since early July, Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be telling fans to buy a token called USWR. The video isn’t real. It was made based on a real interview the captain of Portugal gave at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The fake endorsement came out while Ronaldo was getting all the attention at the tournament. It spread even more after Portugal lost to Spain in the round of 16 and was eliminated. “I’m not a big investment advice kind of guy, but if you put every dollar you have into USWR, you’ll be very happy at the end of July,” a fake Ronaldo says in the staged video. He didn’t say it.
AFP says that the token is based on a claim to ownership in the “United States Water Reserve.” The short, fake video of Ronaldo sends fans to a website named uswr[.]ai.
One Instagram post from July 4 tried to sell the video as a scoop. It asked if anyone else had heard Ronaldo talk about the deal after the win. Many people shared copies on Facebook, TikTok, Threads, and YouTube.
Where the real footage came from
The clip came from the Spanish news site Diario AS, which caught Ronaldo in the mixed zone after July 3’s 2-1 win over Croatia. It had nothing to do with money in the real exchange. Ronaldo spoke English instead of Portuguese and praised Luka Modrić, the captain of Croatia and a former teammate at Real Madrid. He called Modrić “a legend of football” and wished him luck.
Scammers kept the video and added fake sound to it. AFP said that in both versions, Ronaldo’s face and the people around him are exactly the same. The token part was run through the Hiya[.]com voice-cloning detector in the InVID Verification Plugin. The speech that came back was “probably made by AI.”
The word “Water Reserve” was probably chosen on purpose. It’s a play on Ronaldo’s real stake in Maravilha Décimal, a high-end bottled water brand. Fans who remember some of his business deals will find the pitch more believable. The news source also said that he is one of the most copied athletes online. Any fake with his face on it gets around quickly.
Footballers keep turning up in crypto trouble
The USWR clip is a fake endorsement, not a project Ronaldo ever touched. But footballers have landed in real crypto disputes too. As Cryptopolitan reported in May, a Barcelona court is investigating six former Sevilla players over the Shirtum project. The group includes Ivan Rakitić and Papu Gómez. Spanish investors say losses could top €24 million.
Experts keep pointing to the same defense. Fans should check the athlete’s own verified channels before believing any crypto pitch. And they should treat “put in every dollar” and month-end payoff promises as reasons to walk away.
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FAQs
Is Cristiano Ronaldo actually endorsing the USWR crypto token?
No. The video is altered, the endorsement is fake, and there is no mention of USWR on Ronaldo's official website or verified social media accounts.
Where did the fake Ronaldo video come from?
Scammers took a genuine interview from Diario AS, filmed after Portugal's 2-1 win over Croatia, and dubbed fabricated audio over it.
How can viewers tell this is a crypto scam?
Experts flagged promises of large returns, pressure to act quickly, and the absence of any post about USWR on Ronaldo's own verified accounts.
Disclaimer. The information provided is not trading advice. Cryptopolitan.com holds no liability for any investments made based on the information provided on this page. We strongly recommend independent research and/or consultation with a qualified professional before making any investment decisions.
Randa Moses
Randa Moses is an editor and reporter at Cryptopolitan covering tech, AI, robotics, crypto, scams, and hacks. She has worked in the crypto space since 2017. She held roles at Forward Protocol, AmaZix, and Cryptosomniac. Randa holds a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Bradford.
