Saudi Pro League

CR7 at 40: The Birthday Tribute That Broke the Internet

Forty years of goals, glory, and elevating the game. How do you honor a titan like Cristiano Ronaldo on his 40th birthday? The Saudi Pro League (SPL) wanted to celebrate the icon across its social platforms in a way that was as legendary as his legacy. A simple “Happy Birthday’ wasn’t going to cut it. This tribute had to be as unforgettable as his career, resonating with fans worldwide and tapping into the heart of football fandom.

Marking a milestone with over 150 frames of greatness

Moving beyond the predictable homage reel, we embraced a more crafted, artistic, and unexpected approach: a stop-frame animation meticulously built from over 1,000 stills of Ronaldo's SPL moments. Combing through SPL’s vast image bank, we selected photos that best captured his unforgettable skill and charisma in the league. After narrowing them down to around 150 key frames, we used AI tools to artfully fill the missing spaces between the images—allowing us to craft a fluid, stop-motion style animation that felt both nostalgic and futuristic. Each frame was placed with precision, transforming fleeting moments into a rhythmic, poetic loop – a testament to his enduring legacy rendered in a truly innovative style.

Legend approved

The mesmerizing tribute video stood out in feeds and captivated fans online. It even caught the attention of the man himself, transforming the birthday celebration into a global phenomenon. Surpassing a million views in its first day, the video ignited social media, spreading across platforms and earning the ultimate endorsement: a 'like' from CR7. More than just a tribute, it became a digital monument to a sporting icon, significantly boosting the SPL's visibility on the world stage.

+2.5M VIEWS
+532K LIKES
+4.5K COMMENTS
LIKED BY RONALDO HIMSELF