Cristiano Ronaldo attended a black tie dinner at the White House on Tuesday night where US President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Trump described it as an honour to welcome Ronaldo, whose prominence in the Saudi Pro League has made him a central figure in the kingdom’s push to present itself as modernising through investment in sport and tourism. A White House official confirmed earlier that Ronaldo would be present, although it was unclear whether he was part of the crown prince’s formal delegation.
Saudi Arabia’s strategy under bin Salman has focused on reducing dependence on oil revenues by broadening economic activity across sport, entertainment and travel. Critics argue that such investment is intended to improve the country’s global image and divert attention from human rights concerns and the environmental implications of its oil industry, a practice often labelled sportswashing.
Trump used his remarks at the dinner to praise closer ties with Saudi Arabia and referred to the country as a major non Nato ally. Earlier in the day he held talks with the crown prince in the Oval Office. Addressing Ronaldo, Trump noted that his son was a devoted fan and joked that Baron Trump now respected him more for having made the introduction.
The guest list also included Elon Musk, who returned to the White House for the first time since stepping down from the Trump administration’s Department for Government Efficiency in April. Musk’s fraught public exchanges with Trump over recent months, including his declaration of plans for a new political party, had intensified scrutiny around his attendance. Apple chief executive Tim Cook was among other business leaders present.
For Ronaldo, the evening marked one of his first known visits to the United States since 2016. In that time he faced an allegation of sexual assault from Kathryn Mayorga relating to an incident in Las Vegas in 2009, which he denied in 2018. US prosecutors announced in 2019 that he would not face charges because the claims could not be proven.
Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia in early 2023 when he joined Al Nassr, the Pro League club owned by the sovereign wealth fund PIF, which is chaired by the crown prince. His initial contract was reported to be worth around 200 million dollars per year, a figure that climbed with a new two year agreement signed in June for a reported total of 400 million dollars. Bloomberg has reported that he has since become football’s first billionaire, with a net worth of 1.4 billion dollars.
Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, has noted that Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in marquee events and global personalities to establish its status in sport and tourism as part of its broader modernisation goals.
Ronaldo has previously referred to bin Salman as our boss in an interview with Piers Morgan and earlier this month appeared at a Ministry of Tourism event in Riyadh. There he promoted the kingdom’s development projects and expressed optimism about Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup.
