SOCCER star Cristiano Ronaldo attended a White House dinner on Tuesday (Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, PH time) as President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Ronaldo was seated near the front of the East Room, close to where Trump and the crown prince delivered remarks before U.S. and Saudi officials as well as business leaders, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla founder Elon Musk.
Trump acknowledged Ronaldo during his speech, saying that he had introduced the athlete to his son, Barron.
Ronaldo has become the face of the Saudi Pro League since joining Al-Nassr in late 2022 on a reported $200 million-a-year deal. The 40-year-old Portuguese forward signed a two-year extension with the club in June. Al-Nassr is majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which the crown prince oversees.
Trump thanked Ronaldo for attending, telling the crowd that Barron is a “big fan” and had been thrilled to meet him. “I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you,” Trump joked.
Prince Mohammed’s visit marked his first trip to the White House since relations between Washington and Riyadh were strained in 2018 over the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded the crown prince likely ordered the operation, a claim he has denied.
The event also marked a rare U.S. appearance for Ronaldo, who last played in the country in 2014.
Ronaldo has faced past scrutiny, including a 2017 report by German magazine Der Spiegel alleging he paid $375,000 in hush money to a woman who accused him of rape in Las Vegas in 2009. His lawyers maintained the encounter was consensual, and no criminal charges were filed.
World Cup ties
Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 World Cup after FIFA’s expedited bidding process left the kingdom as the lone candidate. Ronaldo supported the bid and said last year he believed it would produce “the best World Cup ever.”
He is also expected to play in a record sixth World Cup next year after Portugal qualified for the 2026 tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Ronaldo is likely to miss Portugal’s opening match due to a red card he received last week — his first in 23 seasons with the national team.
Portugal will learn its group-stage opponents on Dec. 5 at the tournament draw in Washington, which Trump is slated to attend. The president has embraced the upcoming World Cup, even displaying a loaned replica of the trophy in the Oval Office. / FROM THE WIRES