BOOTLEG DREAMS: CLARA BORDE DE CASTRO’S CR7 BOOTLEGACY

March 27, 2025

“For many, especially in the diaspora, he represents ambition and never forgetting where you come from.”

Over the next few weeks, The Atlantic Dispatch and our friends at Off The Pitch Archive will bring you news and features on women involved in football on and off the field to underline the importance of supporting equality.

This week, we sat down with fashion designer Clara Borde de Castro to talk about her CR7 Bootlegacy project and where her love for the game comes from.

CLARA BORDE DE CASTRO

In a sunlit studio in Paris, Franco-Portuguese designer Clara Borde de Castro is busy stitching together the fabric of football’s past. Scarves, beach towels, and unofficial memorabilia—items that once belonged to the terraces, beaches, and backstreet markets—are being transformed into something new.

Her project, CR7 BOOTLEGACY, isn’t just about repurposing Ronaldo-themed bootleg merchandise; it’s a deep dive into football culture, identity, and the personal narratives that fans carry with them.

Borde’s love of football started early. “As an only child, my dad had no choice but to share his passion for the game with me,” she says.

“Every Sunday, we’d watch Canal Football Club and AS Saint-Étienne matches together. When he was away, I’d track the scores and update him.

“This was back when the internet was barely a thing, you couldn’t just stream a game on your phone! It was our way of staying connected.”

PORTUGUESE CULTURE

However, her connection to the game runs even deeper. Her mother’s side of the family were lifelong FC Porto socios, and football became a way for her to reclaim a heritage that sometimes felt distant.

“My mother left Portugal young, and I struggled to reclaim that part of my identity. As I got older, I realised football was the perfect bridge—it was already a passion, but it was also a fundamental part of Portuguese culture.”

When it comes to Portugal, one name always comes up: Cristiano Ronaldo.

“You can’t talk about Portugal without talking about Ronaldo,” Borde says.

“When he played for United, my classmates would say, ‘He’s incredible, and he’s Portuguese, like you!’

“That changed something. Before, being Portuguese felt small, almost invisible. But suddenly, Portugal had this global superstar, someone who made people look at the country differently.”

That pride was cemented in 2016 when Portugal won the European Championship. Borde wanted to hold onto that moment and started collecting bootleg Ronaldo memorabilia—beach towels, scarves, loud souvenir shop prints.

“There was something so striking about them: the bold colours, the intense graphic choices, the fact that they existed outside the polished world of football merchandising.

“At some point, I realised my bootleg collection could retrace Ronaldo’s entire career differently, shaped by the fans who love the game.”

I WANTED TO BRING MY OWN PERSPECTIVE

This was the start of CR7 BOOTLEGACY. Borde began transforming these items into wearable pieces, creating a collection that isn’t just about football but also about memory and belonging.

“As a football-fan girl, I wanted to bring my own perspective. Football culture has always been centred around men, so I reshaped these objects into dresses, skirts, and fitted silhouettes—taking space in a world that has always been there for me but didn’t always reflect me.”

Each piece tells a story. The Chorão set recalls the heartbreak of Portugal’s Euro 2004 final defeat. The Campeões two-piece celebrates the redemption of 2016. The Injustiça dress speaks to the frustration of never winning a World Cup.

“It’s about giving new meaning to objects that are often dismissed and showing how clothes can carry memory, nostalgia, and cultural significance.”

FOOTBALL IS EVERYWHERE IN PORTUGAL

For Borde, football is more than just a game—it’s a cultural touchstone, a shared language, and a way to stay connected to home.

“Football is everywhere in Portugal—cafés, bars, storefronts—it’s part of everyday life.

“Many are lifelong socios of their clubs, and national team matches are financially accessible. In a place where football is a way of life, Ronaldo’s rise means even more.”

Ronaldo, for Borde, is the ultimate symbol of resilience. “Coming from Madeira, a small, often overlooked island, he became the country’s greatest athlete.

“For many, especially in the diaspora, he represents ambition and never forgetting where you come from.

“He put our small country on the map, making us proud and loud, not just because he’s the best player in the world, but because he never apologises for who he is.”

CR7 BOOTLEGACY is a way of capturing those emotions—pride, heartbreak, and belonging—through clothing.

“These items already carry a history, a visual and emotional weight tied to specific moments in football. I want to respect that.”

Through her designs, Borde stitches together her love of the game, her heritage, and the stories that football leaves behind.

In her hands, bootleg memorabilia becomes more than just fabric—it becomes a way of understanding identity, culture, and the way football connects us all.