Ronaldo, Elon Musk attend Trump’s dinner Saudi Crown Prince

Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was astatine the White House connected Tuesday (November 18, 2025) arsenic President Donald Trump hosted a glitzy meal to honour Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The shot prima was seated adjacent the beforehand of the East Room, not acold from wherever the President and Crown Prince gave remarks to officials from some nations, on with large concern leaders specified arsenic Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla laminitis Elon Musk.

Mr. Trump, successful his speech, made a constituent of recognising Ronaldo, whom helium said helium introduced to his teenage son.

Ronaldo has been the look of the Saudi shot league since joining Saudi nine Al-Nassr astatine the extremity of 2022 connected a reported $200 million-a-year contract.

The 40-year-old Portuguese prima signed a two-year hold successful June with Al-Nassr, which is bulk owned by the Saudi sovereign wealthiness money that the crown prince chairs.

MR. Trump thanked the jock for attending. He said that his youngest son, Barron, is simply a “big fan” of Ronaldo and the 19-year-old was impressed that helium got to conscionable the shot player.

“Barron got to conscionable him. And I deliberation helium respects his begetter a small spot more, now, conscionable the information that I introduced you,” Mr. Trump said.

Prince Mohammed was visiting the White House for the archetypal clip since a play of diplomatic isolation began successful 2018 aft the sidesplitting of Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents successful a consulate bureau successful Istanbul. US quality agencies determined that Prince Mohammed apt directed the operation. He has denied engagement successful the killing.

It was a uncommon U.S. sojourn for Ronaldo, who hasn't played successful the state since 2014.

In 2017, German quality mag Der Spiegel reported that Ronaldo had years earlier paid $375,000 successful hush wealth to a pistillate who accused him of raping her astatine a Las Vegas edifice successful 2009. Ronaldo's lawyers maintained the enactment was consensual and nary transgression charges ever were filed.

World Cup connection

Saudi Arabia volition big the 2034 World Cup aft FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, shaped a fast-track bidding process 2 years agone that helped guarantee determination was nary rival bid.

Ronaldo promoted that bid, saying past December erstwhile the Saudi triumph was confirmed “after what I see, I'm much convinced that 2034 volition beryllium the champion World Cup ever.”

Ronaldo is acceptable to play astatine a grounds sixth variation of the World Cup adjacent twelvemonth aft Portugal qualified connected Sunday for the tourney co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. However, helium apt volition beryllium banned by FIFA for Portugal's archetypal crippled adjacent June aft getting his archetypal reddish paper past week successful 23 seasons playing for the nationalist team.

Portugal volition larn its World Cup opponents connected December 5 astatine the tourney draw, which Mr. Trump is acceptable to be astatine the Kennedy Center successful Washington.

Mr. Trump has intimately aligned himself with the 2026 World Cup. In the Oval Office helium has a transcript of the aureate trophy loaned to him by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Musk-Trump reconciliation?

Elon Musk besides joined the meal with Mr. Trump astatine the White House, the 2nd associated nationalist quality since a bitter nationalist feud earlier this year.

Mr. Musk’s attendance could beryllium a motion of reconciliation successful a turbulent narration betwixt the Tesla CEO and the U.S. President.

Mr. Musk supported and funded Mr. Trump’s predetermination past twelvemonth and became a adjacent advisor to his medication aboriginal this year, starring the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and overseeing cuts to national backing and jobs.

But the 2 soon had a falling out. The billionaire businessman took to societal media to onslaught Mr. Trump’s sweeping taxation and spending measure arsenic fiscally reckless, and said helium planned to make a caller governmental party. Mr. Trump deed backmost threatening to chopped disconnected the billions of dollars successful subsidies that Mr. Musk’s companies received from the national government.

The feud, on with Mr. Musk’s far-right governmental rhetoric, wounded Tesla’s marque image, income and banal price, analysts person said.

Mr. Musk and Mr. Trump person seldom travel unneurotic publically since. Mr. Musk was past spotted shaking hands with Mr. Trump astatine a memorial for blimpish activistic Charlie Kirk successful September.