Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays as forward for the Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, visited the White House in Washington to attend an official dinner hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump in honor of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Also present at the event on Tuesday night in Washington were Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other business leaders, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, but it was Ronaldo who drew the most attention.
“My son is a big fan of Ronaldo", said Trump. "And Barron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you. Thank you for being here, it's an honor."
Ronaldo holds Trump in high regard as well. In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, the soccer star paid tribute to the U.S. president, saying: “He's one of the guys who can help change the world.”
This was one of Ronaldo’s first visits to the U.S. since 2017. In recent years, he has avoided traveling to the country due to a legal controversy stemming from a 2009 sexual assault allegation in Las Vegas, a claim he has consistently denied. In 2019, Nevada prosecutors announced he would not face charges, citing insufficient evidence.
Since 2017, Ronaldo has not taken part in any U.S. preseason matches during his time with Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United, or his current club, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr.
The topic returned to headlines Sunday, after Portugal secured qualification for the upcoming World Cup, which will be held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico next summer.
In addition, Ronaldo and the Portuguese national team plan to play a warm-up match against the U.S. in Atlanta this coming March.