Cristian Volpato, a 22-year-old Australian international who plays for Serie A club Sassuolo, has licensed his AI likeness to a California company called Callandor, according to a Guardian Australia report published on October 25, 2026. Under a deal struck in mid-September, Callandor holds exclusive rights to his digital likeness, voice, biometric profiles and performance data. It will earn money by landing brand deals, taking a cut, and helping restrict unapproved content.
What the deal covers
Callandor, founded in February, describes its product as a “synthetic twin.” Co-founder Michael Fisk, a former Sony Pictures and MGM executive, told the Guardian that a footballer who is constantly training loses brand opportunities, whereas a twin “could be used 24-7, year-round by brands,” provided the athlete approves. The company’s stable also includes Brazilian footballer Jorginho and American sailor Chris Poole, and its campaigns are only in a pilot phase.
The first example is a social video in which Volpato appears to stride through an atrium before spawning clones that appear in other locations. The Guardian stresses that the scene is AI-generated but authorized. Fisk also floats ideas such as AI voice-overs for foreign-language editions of books and an app in which a synthetic Volpato gives real-time coaching on how someone plays football.
A growing market, and a race with unauthorized use
Volpato is not the first. The Guardian says Neymar licensed his AI likeness in June to a Chinese-owned entertainment platform that produced short videos published during the FIFA World Cup. In Australia, William Saunders of the new Sydney start-up Hyperknown is pursuing similar deals. He argues that athletes who do not monetize their AI image risk others doing it for them.
The report links this to unauthorized use. It says bookmakers, broadcasters and brands increasingly use athletes’ images in AI-generated content without permission, and that earlier this month the AFL told its gambling partner Sportsbet to stop using AI images of players. The players’ union is considering whether to negotiate stricter rules, since current player contracts with major Australian leagues do not mention AI. In the UK last month, top footballers including Cole Palmer and Lucy Bronze joined a Fifpro-backed campaign about deepfakes, and an offshore casino used a deepfake of Bruno Fernandes in an ad earlier this year, the Guardian reports.
The legal gaps
Jonathan Harlen, an intellectual property law expert at Southern Cross University, told the Guardian that AI brokers are “the obvious next step” in a “supercharged global market.” He points out that copyright is recognized only where there is human authorship and creative effort, and that “passing off” protections generally require a public figure to prove economic loss. Those limits do not stop the spread of deepfakes made with off-the-shelf software.
Saunders argues that permission is becoming a commercial requirement: “The next trust signal won’t just say ‘made with AI,’” he says. “It will say ‘made with this person’s permission.’” It remains unclear whether brands will pay as much for a clone as for the real athlete, the Guardian notes.
Why it matters
Athletes’ value rests on image rights. Licensing a twin turns that into a recurring, scalable asset, but it also hands control of voice, biometrics and performance data to a third party, which raises questions about how long the license lasts and what limits apply. Those terms were not disclosed in the report.
What to watch next
- Whether Australian leagues and the players’ union add AI clauses to contracts.
- Results of Callandor’s pilot campaigns and brands’ willingness to pay.
- Any rule on labeling consented versus unauthorized AI content.
- More athlete licensing deals similar to Neymar’s and Volpato’s.
Key takeaways
- Volpato gave Callandor exclusive rights to his likeness, voice, biometrics and performance data.
- Callandor takes a cut of brand deals and works to restrict unapproved content.
- Neymar licensed his AI likeness in June for World Cup videos.
- Unauthorized AI use of athletes’ images is prompting action from leagues and unions.
- Legal protection is patchy, especially where economic loss is hard to prove.
Frequently asked questions
What is a synthetic twin?
It is Callandor’s term for an authorized AI version of an athlete’s face, voice and mannerisms used in marketing and other content.
Is licensing an AI clone legal?
Yes, when the athlete consents. The legal problems arise when AI content is made without permission.
Who else has licensed their AI likeness?
The report names Neymar, Jorginho and sailor Chris Poole.
