Ronaldo, Musk attend Trump’s White House dinner with Saudi crown prince
Elon Musk was among business titans invited to the gala dinner, as tensions with Donald Trump thaw
Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and billionaire Elon Musk were among the guests at a lavish White House dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump for the visiting Saudi crown prince on Tuesday.
Ronaldo plays for Saudi club Al Nassr, one of a number of ageing players who have been attracted to the desert kingdom’s heavy spending on stars despite its rights record.
The 40-year-old, whose contract with the Saudi club ends this summer, took his place near the head of Trump’s table a few seconds before the president and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman entered.
“You know, my son is a big fan of Ronaldo,” Trump said in his pre-dinner speech, adding that his football-mad son Barron, 19, got to meet the legendary player.
“I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you.”
Ronaldo was not the only football-related dinner guest, as Fifa chief Gianni Infantino made yet another appearance at the White House ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting.