Cristiano Ronaldo attends White House dinner with Saudi crown prince

Football star Cristiano Ronaldo attended a White House black tie dinner on Tuesday night, joining Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at an event that highlighted growing ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia. The appearance drew widespread attention, marking one of Ronaldo’s most high-profile public moments in the US in years.

Before the dinner, President Donald Trump said it was an honour to host Ronaldo, praising his influence in the Saudi football league and his role in the kingdom’s push to modernise sectors beyond oil, including sports and tourism. A White House official confirmed his attendance but did not say whether he was formally part of the crown prince’s delegation.

Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in global sports, drawing both admiration and criticism. Detractors argue that the kingdom uses major events and star athletes to improve its international image while deflecting attention from human rights concerns and environmental issues, a practice often referred to as sportswashing.

During his remarks, Trump praised the strengthening relationship with Saudi Arabia, calling it a major non NATO ally. He also mentioned Ronaldo directly, telling guests that his son Barron had been thrilled to meet the footballer. Trump joked that the introduction had made Barron respect him more.

The dinner also drew several high profile guests from the business world, including Tesla founder Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook. It was Musk’s first visit to the White House since stepping down from a government advisory role earlier this year after a very public political feud with Trump.

Ronaldo’s presence at the White House marked one of his first known trips to the United States since 2016. During the intervening years, he faced a high profile allegation of sexual assault dating back to 2009, which he denied. In 2019, prosecutors said they would not pursue charges because the claims could not be proven.

Reports suggest that the US and Portugal national teams may play a friendly match in Atlanta in March 2026 ahead of the North American World Cup. If confirmed, it would be Ronaldo’s first match in the United States in more than a decade.

Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia in early 2023, becoming captain of Al Nassr and the most recognisable face of the Saudi Pro League. His salary made global headlines, with reports indicating he earned around two hundred million dollars a year. More recently, he signed a new deal worth nearly four hundred million dollars, and Bloomberg has listed him as football’s first billionaire player.

Saudi analyst Sanam Vakil says the kingdom sees value in investing in figures like Ronaldo to promote its global image and support its long term goal of transforming its economy. Ronaldo has spoken positively about Saudi Arabia’s development, referring to the crown prince as “our boss” in an interview and expressing hopes that the country will host the 2034 World Cup.