Ronaldo attends White House dinner side by side with Saudi crown prince

At the high-profile event held on Tuesday night following Trump’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ronaldo was among a select group of global figures including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance.

Dressed in formal evening wear, the 40-year-old forward was seated prominently in the East Room, where Trump acknowledged his presence during his speech:

“This room is loaded up with the biggest leaders in the world — business, sports,” Trump said. “I introduced you, and I think [Barron] respects his father a little bit more now”.

Ronaldo, who currently plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, arrived in Washington separately from the crown prince’s delegation. Prince Mohammed bin Salman, widely known as MBS, was instrumental in bringing Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia in 2023 on a record-breaking deal.

The dinner marked Ronaldo’s first public appearance in the U.S. in nearly a decade and fulfilled a personal wish he had expressed in a past interview with Piers Morgan, where he described Trump as “one of the guys who can help to change the world.” Earlier this year, Trump received a signed Portugal jersey from Ronaldo bearing the message: “To US President Donald J. Trump, Playing for Peace”.

The event underscored the intersection of sports diplomacy and global leadership, with Ronaldo’s presence adding star power to a night focused on international relations and cultural exchange.