Cristiano Ronaldo Joins Trump at White House Dinner with Saudi Crown Prince

Washington, D.C. — Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo attended a high-profile White House dinner on 18 November 2025, where former President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).

Ronaldo, 40, who now plays for Saudi club Al Nassr, was seated near the front of the East Room alongside business and political heavyweights such as Tim Cook (Apple) and Elon Musk.

In his remarks, Trump singled out Ronaldo, saying his son Barron, 19, is “a big fan” of the footballer. He added: “Barron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you.”

Ronaldo’s presence was especially symbolic given his close ties to Saudi Arabia. He signed with Al Nassr in 2023 on a reported multimillion-dollar contract, and the club is majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which is chaired by Crown Prince MBS.

This event also marked a significant moment in Saudi–U.S. diplomacy: during the dinner, Trump announced that Saudi Arabia would be designated a “major non-NATO ally”, a move that could deepen military and defense ties.

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For Ronaldo, it was a rare appearance on U.S. soil — his first notable public engagement in the U.S. since 2016.