Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo attended a black-tie dinner at the White House on Tuesday night, joining U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at an event highlighting deepening ties between Washington and Riyadh.
Ahead of the ceremony, Trump described it as an “honour” to host Ronaldo, whose high-profile stint in the Saudi Pro League has made him one of the global faces of the kingdom’s sweeping modernisation and diversification drive.
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in sports, tourism and entertainment as part of Crown Prince Mohammed’s effort to reduce the nation’s reliance on oil revenues. A White House official confirmed Ronaldo’s attendance but did not say whether he was part of the crown prince’s official delegation.
Critics have accused Saudi Arabia of using major sporting investments to burnish its global image and divert attention from human rights concerns and the environmental impact of its oil industry — a strategy known as “sportswashing.”
In his remarks at the dinner, Trump praised the U.S.–Saudi relationship, describing the kingdom as a “major non-Nato ally.” Earlier in the day, he hosted the crown prince in the Oval Office.
Turning to Ronaldo during his speech, Trump drew laughter as he referenced his youngest son: “My son is a big fan of Ronaldo. And Barron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now — just the fact that I introduced you.”
The dinner also drew tech leaders, including Elon Musk — making his first White House appearance since stepping down from Trump’s Department for Government Efficiency (Doge) in April — and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Musk and Trump had engaged in a months-long public feud that included Musk briefly announcing plans to form a new political party.
Ronaldo’s visit marks one of his first known trips to the U.S. since 2016. In that period, he faced a high-profile sexual assault allegation stemming from a 2009 encounter in Las Vegas — an accusation he denied. Prosecutors later declined to pursue charges in 2019, saying the claims could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Portuguese national team is expected to play a friendly match against the United States in Atlanta in March 2026, ahead of the men’s World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. If confirmed — and if Ronaldo features — it would be his first match on American soil since 2014.
