Cristiano Ronaldo visited the White House on Tuesday as President Donald Trump held a high-profile dinner in honour of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The football star was seated near the front of the East Room, close to the spot where Trump and the crown prince addressed officials from both countries and leading business figures, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla founder Elon Musk. During his speech, Trump made sure to acknowledge Ronaldo, saying he had introduced the Portuguese player to his teenage son. Ronaldo has been the leading face of the Saudi Pro League since joining Al-Nassr at the end of 2022 on a reported contract worth USD 200 million a year. The 40-year-old signed a two-year extension with Al-Nassr in June. The club is majority owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which is chaired by the crown prince. Trump thanked Ronaldo for being present. He mentioned that his youngest son, Barron, is a “big fan” and that the 19-year-old was thrilled to meet him. “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. Prince Mohammed was at the White House for the first time since diplomatic ties became strained in 2018 after Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents inside a consulate in Istanbul. US intelligence agencies concluded that the crown prince likely ordered the operation, though he has denied any role. It was an uncommon visit to the United States for Ronaldo, who has not played in the country since 2014. In 2017, German magazine Der Spiegel reported that Ronaldo had previously paid USD 375,000 in hush money to a woman who accused him of raping her at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. His lawyers said the encounter was consensual and no criminal charges were filed.
World Cup connection
Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup after FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, set up a rapid bidding process two years ago that effectively prevented any competing bid. Ronaldo supported the bid, saying last December, when the hosting rights were confirmed, that “after what I see, I’m more convinced that 2034 will be the best World Cup ever.” Ronaldo is expected to play at a record sixth World Cup next year after Portugal qualified on Sunday for the tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. He will likely miss Portugal’s opening match next June because he received his first red card for the national team last week in his 23rd season. Portugal will discover its World Cup group on December 5 during the draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, which Trump is expected to attend. Trump has strongly aligned himself with the 2026 World Cup. In the Oval Office he keeps a copy of the golden trophy, loaned to him by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
