Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman and Cristiano Ronaldo Attend a Black-Tie Dinner at the White House
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Cristiano Ronaldo had dinner at the White House while President Trump lauded the strengthening US-Saudi relationship.
In a rare public appearance in the United States, superstar football player Cristiano Ronaldo joined Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, at a black-tie dinner at the White House on Tuesday night.
US President Donald Trump, who has made Ronaldo a global face of the kingdom’s modernization effort due to his significant engagement in the Saudi Pro League, called hosting the event a “honor” in remarks made prior to it. The goal of Crown Prince Mohammed’s expansion into industries like sports, entertainment, and tourism has been to lessen Saudi Arabia’s reliance on oil earnings.
Although Ronaldo’s attendance at the meal was not mentioned as a part of the crown prince’s official delegation, a White House official had earlier in the day confirmed his attendance.
The investment Saudi Arabia makes in international athletes and events, according to critics, is a form of “sportswashing,” an effort to obtain international recognition and deflect criticism of the kingdom’s environmental and human rights violations.
In his speech at the dinner, Trump called Saudi Arabia a “major non-NATO ally” and complimented the growing connection between Washington and Riyadh. He hosted the crown prince in the Oval Office for discussions earlier Tuesday. During the dinner, Trump turned to face Ronaldo and mentioned that his son had always been an admirer of the Portuguese player.
Trump quipped, “Baron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now just the fact that I introduced you.”
Other notable corporate figures in attendance included Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, and Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla. After leaving his position as director of the Trump administration’s Department for Government Efficiency (Doge) in April due to a highly publicized dispute with the president, Musk made his first appearance back at the White House.
Ronaldo is making one of his first known trips to the United States since 2016. Since then, he has been the subject of a well-publicized accusation of sexual assault in Las Vegas in 2009, which he vehemently rejected. He would not be charged, US prosecutors eventually declared in 2019, claiming the evidence could not be proven.
Saudi Arabia’s attempt to use sports to increase its influence worldwide now revolves around the football player. Ronaldo signed another two-year contract worth an estimated $400 million (£300 million) this year after joining Al Nassr in early 2023 on an incredible $200 million (£152 million) yearly salary. He is the first billionaire football player, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Saudi Arabia’s Ronaldo investment fits into a larger plan. Sanam Vakil, director of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa program, claims that as part of its modernization efforts, the kingdom has “invested heavily in high-profile events and individuals to put the kingdom on the map.” In a highly laudatory conversation with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo called the crown prince “our boss.”
He made an appearance earlier this month at a Ministry of Tourism event in Riyadh, where he spoke about the kingdom’s extensive development initiatives and conveyed his optimism that Saudi Arabia will be able to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034.
