Washington: Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was at the White House as President Donald Trump hosted a glitzy dinner to honour Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The soccer star was seated near the front of the East Room, not far from where the president and crown prince gave remarks to officials from both nations, along with major business leaders such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla founder Elon Musk Tuesday.
Trump, in his speech, made a point of recognising Ronaldo, whom he said he introduced to his teenage son.
Ronaldo has been the face of the Saudi soccer league since joining Saudi club 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, which is majority owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund that the crown prince chairs.
Trump thanked the athlete for attending. He said that his youngest son, Barron, is a “big fan” of Ronaldo, and the 19-year-old was impressed that he got to meet the soccer player.
“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 visiting the White House for the first time since a period of diplomatic isolation began in 2018 after the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in a consulate office in Istanbul. U.S. intelligence agencies determined that Prince Mohammed likely directed the operation. He has denied involvement in the killing.
It was a rare U.S. visit for Ronaldo, who hasn’t played in the country since 2014.
In 2017, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that Ronaldo had years earlier paid $375,000 in hush money to a woman who accused him of raping her at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. Ronaldo’s lawyers maintained the sex was consensual, and no criminal charges were ever filed.
World Cup connection
Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup after FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, shaped a fast-track bidding process two years ago that helped ensure there was no rival bid.
Ronaldo promoted that bid, saying last December when the Saudi win was confirmed, “after what I see, I’m more convinced that 2034 will be the best World Cup ever.”
Ronaldo is set to play at a record sixth edition of the World Cup next year after Portugal qualified Sunday for the tournament co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. However, he likely will be banned by FIFA for Portugal’s first game next June after getting his first red card last week in 23 seasons playing for the national team.
Portugal will learn its World Cup opponents December 5 at the tournament draw, which Trump is set to attend at the Kennedy Centre in Washington.
Trump has closely aligned himself with the 2026 World Cup. In the Oval Office, he has a copy of the golden trophy loaned to him by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
