Cristiano Ronaldo, a figure at White House dinner with Donald Trump and Prince Mohammed bin Salman
The soccer superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, was part of the distinguished dinner offered by former President Donald Trump in honor of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, at the White House. The soccer star was located near the front of the East Hall, near where the president and the prince gave speeches to senior officials from both nations, as well as important business leaders such as Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, and Elon Musk, founder of Tesla. During his intervention, Trump emphasized recognizing Ronaldo, whom he claimed to have introduced to his teenage son. Ronaldo has been the main image of the Saudi football league since he joined the Al Nassr club at the end of 2022, with a reported contract of 200 million dollars annually. The 40-year-old Portuguese footballer signed a two-year extension in June with Al Nassr, a club largely owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, chaired by the crown prince.Prince Mohammed’s visit to the White House was the first since a period of diplomatic isolation began in 2018, following the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in a consulate in Istanbul. U.S. intelligence agencies determined that Prince Mohammed likely directed the operation, although he has denied his involvement. This will also be a rare visit to the United States for Ronaldo, who has not played in the country since 2014. In 2017, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported that Ronaldo had paid years earlier $375,000 to silence a woman who accused him of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. Ronaldo’s lawyers maintained that the sexual encounter was consensual and no criminal charges were ever filed. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup, after FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, designed an accelerated bidding process two years ago that helped ensure there was no rival bid. Ronaldo promoted that candidacy, stating last December, when the Saudi victory was confirmed, that “after what I see, I am more convinced that 2034 will be the best World Cup in history”. Ronaldo is scheduled to play in a sixth edition of the World Cup next year, after Portugal qualified on Sunday for the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. However, he is likely to be suspended by FIFA for Portugal’s first match next June, after receiving his first red card last week in 23 seasons playing for the national team. Portugal will learn their World Cup opponents on December 5th at the tournament draw, which Trump is scheduled to attend at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Trump has closely aligned himself with the 2026 World Cup. In the Oval Office, he has a copy of the golden trophy that FIFA President Gianni Infantino lent him.Trump thanked the athlete for his assistance. He mentioned that his youngest son, Barron, is a “big fan” of Ronaldo and that the 19-year-old was impressed to meet the footballer.
Donald Trump
