The truth behind the 7 euro bill with Cristiano Ronaldo’s face: the Bank of Portugal denies the hoax that went viral
In recent weeks, social networks have been flooded with images and publications claiming that the Bank of Portugal (BdP) is preparing the launch of a commemorative 7 euro note with the face of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The supposed coin, which would refer to the mythical number 7 of the captain of the Portuguese team, would include details such as the “Siuuu” celebration, the Euro 2016 trophy and the 25 de Abril Bridge in the background.
The commotion has been so great that the Bank of Portugal itself has had to come forward with an official statement to deny the information.
The origin of the hoax dates back to at least January 2025, when false images of a 7.50 euro coin in honor of CR7 already circulated.
However, the version of the 7 euro note exploded at the beginning of December 2025, just when the fever for the 2026 World Cup begins to heat up and Portugal dreams of seeing a 41-year-old Ronaldo in its last major international event.
The publications, shared thousands of times on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads, presented very elaborate prototypes: on the front appeared the portrait of Cristiano Ronaldo with the captain’s ribbon and the Euro 2016 trophy; On the reverse, the 25 de Abril Bridge and the word “Siuuu” in gold letters.
Many users celebrated it as “the greatest tribute that Portugal can pay to the best player in its history.” Some posts accumulated more than 15,000 likes in a matter of hours.
However, the reality is very different. On December 4, 2025, the Bank of Portugal published an official statement on its website and in its institutional channels with a clear and resounding message:
«The Bank of Portugal has become aware of false publications spread on social networks about the issuance, by the Bank of Portugal, of a 7 euro note in honor of the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Bank of Portugal clarifies that it has not issued, put into circulation, nor does it plan to issue or put into circulation any banknote alluding to the aforementioned personality.
In addition, the BdP recalled that euro banknotes are designed and approved by the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Eurosystem, made up of the 20 countries of the euro zone.
No country can unilaterally issue a banknote with a non-standard denomination (such as 7 euros) or include portraits of living people or any other nationalist theme.
The only valid banknotes are 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros, and their designs are identical in all countries.
Why is this hoax so credible? Portugal is experiencing a true “Ronaldomania”. The Madeira airport is named after him, there are statues of him throughout the country, museums dedicated to his career and even a CR7 hotel brand.
That the Portuguese State wants to pay tribute to him before the 2026 World Cup seems, in the eyes of many fans, something almost logical. Furthermore, the fact that official commemorative coins do exist (for example, those issued for Euro 2024 or the Olympic Games) adds to the confusion.
But the regulations are clear: 2 euro commemorative coins can carry national designs, but they never include living people. Banknotes, on the other hand, are even more restricted.
For this reason, neither Portugal nor any other country in the eurozone will ever be able to issue an official banknote with the face of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé or any other personality while they are alive.
International media and fact-checkers such as Newtral, Maldita.es, Reuters Fact Check and the Portuguese newspaper Público have described the news as false. Even the official website of the ECB includes a section dedicated to denying these types of recurring rumors.
Still, the hoax continues to circulate. Every few months it reappears with small changes: in June 2025 it was a 7 euro coin, in January a 7.50 euro coin and now the 7 euro note.
The creators of fake images are increasingly improving the quality, using artificial intelligence, which makes it more difficult to distinguish them from official ones with the naked eye.
The Bank of Portugal has also warned that this type of publications can be used for scams: sale of supposed “collectible” banknotes that will never actually exist or fraudulent links that steal personal data.
In summary – There is no 7 euro bill with Cristiano Ronaldo on it. – The Bank of Portugal has officially denied it. – Euro banknotes cannot have personalized national denominations or designs.
– This is a recurring hoax that takes advantage of CR7’s popularity and the excitement of the next World Cup.
Although many Portuguese would love to see their idol on a banknote, for now the only place where Cristiano Ronaldo appears on official money is… in the memes and on the t-shirts that millions of fans will continue to buy ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
If you want to pay tribute to CR7, you better save up to go see him live. That will be money well spent. Yay!
