Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo made an appearance at the White House on Tuesday, Nov. 18 with Donald Trump, coinciding with the U.S. president hosting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington D.C.
Ronaldo was among a number of notable guests at the black-tie dinner, a list that included Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
‘My son is a big fan of Ronaldo,’ Trump said. ‘And Barron got to meet him and I think he respects his father a little bit more now that I’ve introduced you. Thank you for being here, it’s an honor.’
The feeling is mutual. Ronaldo recently expressed his admiration for Trump, saying that the American president is ‘one of the guys who can help change the world.’
The 40-year-old Ronaldo is set to represent Portugal in next summer’s World Cup in North America and – along with Lionel Messi – will become the first player in history to participate in six men’s World Cups. Portugal officially qualified for the tournament on Nov. 17 and Ronaldo has said 2026 will ‘definitely’ be his last appearance.
Ronaldo currently plays club soccer for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, and has become a prominent ambassador for the kingdom’s tourism authority since making a move from Manchester United in 2023.
Trump has taken a major interest in soccer since returning to the presidency, hosting multiple White House events with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and famously stayed on the stage for this summer’s Club World Cup Trophy presentation, much to the bewilderment of the players.
Tuesday’s public appearance marked Ronaldo’s first in the U.S. in nearly a decade.
What has Cristiano Ronaldo said about Donald Trump?
In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo praised Trump and said that he wanted to meet the American president.
“He is one of the guys who can help to change the world. One of the most important guys is the U.S. president. If we can help each other to make this happen,’ Ronaldo said.
‘He is one of the guys I wish to meet to sit and have a nice talk. If it is here, or in the U.S., wherever he wants, I know he was here in Saudi with our boss MBS. I wish one day to meet him because he is one of the guys who can make things happen and I like people like that.”