Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was a prominent guest at the White House on Tuesday, where President Donald Trump hosted a glitzy dinner honoring Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The event served as a major display of cultural and business alignment between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo was seated near the front of the East Room, not far from where the president and crown prince delivered remarks to high-ranking officials and business leaders, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla founder Elon Musk.
Trump’s Acknowledgment
President Trump made a point of recognizing Ronaldo in his speech, noting that he had introduced the soccer star to his teenage son, Barron.
“Barron got to meet him. And I think he respects his father a little bit more, now, just the fact that I introduced you,” Trump said, thanking the athlete for attending.
Ronaldo has been the face of the Saudi soccer league since joining Al Nassr at the end of 2022 on a reported $200 million-a-year contract. The 40-year-old Portuguese star signed a two-year extension in June with Al Nassr, a club majority-owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund that the Crown Prince chairs.
Context of the Visit
The dinner was the Crown Prince’s first White House visit since a period of diplomatic isolation began in 2018 following the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Ronaldo’s appearance also comes as he promoted Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup, a process that FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, shaped to ensure there was no rival bid.
World Cup Outlook and Legal History
Ronaldo is set to play at a record sixth edition of the World Cup next year, after Portugal qualified on Sunday for the tournament co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
However, the star forward likely faces a ban from Portugal’s first game next June after receiving his first red card last week in 23 seasons playing for the national team. Portugal will learn its World Cup opponents on December 5 at the tournament draw, which President Trump is also scheduled to attend.
Ronaldo’s visit is a rare one to the U.S., where he hasn’t played since 2014. His legal history includes a 2017 German news report that he paid $375,000 in hush money to a woman who accused him of raping her in 2009 in Las Vegas, though his lawyers maintained the sex was consensual and no criminal charges were filed.
Source: The Associated Press
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