Source: Africa Publicity
President Donald Trump has released a video showing he and Cristiano Ronaldo ‘playing football’ inside the White House.
The American President wrote: “Ronaldo is a great guy. Loved meeting him at the White House. Really smart, and cool!!!”.
Ronaldo, accompanied by his fiancée Georgina Rodriguez, on Tuesday evening attended a glitzy White House Dinner to welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington DC.
The dinner brought together some of the world’s richest and most recognizable names to the East Room of the White House.
The A-List Photo Op
The defining moment of the evening was captured by tech founder and investor David Sacks, who posted a selfie taken by Ronaldo. The photo included:
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez
Elon Musk (Tesla owner and X owner)
Gianni Infantino (FIFA President)
Howard Lutnick (US Secretary of Commerce)
David Sacks
The image was widely shared across social media, with Sacks captioning it: “Great night!”
Trump Pays Tribute
President Trump acknowledged Ronaldo’s stature during his speech, highlighting the sheer star power assembled.
“This room is loaded up with the biggest leaders in the world – business, sports…” Trump said. “My son is a big fan of Ronaldo… Barron got to meet him and I think he respects his father a little bit more now – just the fact that I introduced you.”
Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, was part of the visiting delegation and wore a black tuxedo as he sat alongside key figures like Musk and Vice President JD Vance. Other guests included Donald Trump Jr, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Diplomatic and Legal Context
The dinner marked a highly sensitive diplomatic occasion, as it was the first time the Saudi Crown Prince had been in the United States since U.S. intelligence claimed he approved the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Trump addressed the issue earlier that day, sensationally defending the Crown Prince by stating he “knew nothing about it.”
The event also marked the soccer star’s first public appearance on U.S. soil since being accused of rape in 2017 by former American teacher Kathryn Mayorga.
