Trump Fanboys Over Cristiano Ronaldo at White House Event

Cristiano Ronaldo made a rare return to the United States this week, attending a black-tie White House dinner held alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit, according to CNN.

The Portuguese football star, currently playing for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, joined guests including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk at the East Room banquet. Euronews reports that former President Donald Trump “singled out Ronaldo,” thanking him for attending and joking that his son Barron is a “big fan.”

“I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you,” Trump told Ronaldo.

The White House posted a picture of the two of them on social media.

Ronaldo has spoken warmly of Trump in past interviews, telling journalist Piers Morgan that Trump is “one of the guys who can help change the world” and “one of the guys I want to meet.”

Ronaldo’s presence coincided with a full day of meetings and ceremonies welcoming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. According to CNN, the visit included a welcome ceremony, a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, and lunch. The event wasn’t classified as an official state visit because the crown prince is not Saudi Arabia’s head of state.

During the visit, Euronews reports that the crown prince announced an increase in Saudi planned investment in the US to $1 trillion, calling the US “the hottest country on the planet” for foreign investment. Trump, in turn, announced that the US would designate Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally.

Ronaldo’s Final World Cup

Ronaldo, recently confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will “definitely” be his last:

“I will be 41 years old… this will be the moment in the big competition.”

With the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, Ronaldo’s high-visibility White House appearance underscores both his enduring global influence and the increasingly intertwined worlds of sports and diplomacy.