Portuguese soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and billionaire Elon Musk attended the lavish dinner hosted Tuesday at the White House by US President Donald Trump in honor of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Elon Musk at the lavish dinner hosted at the White House PHOTO X / TC @totalcristiano
Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays for Saudi club Al Nassr, like many late-career professionals in the field, lured by the kingdom’s extravagant spending despite criticism of its human rights record. The 40-year-old footballer was seated at the table in the place of honor, not far from Donald Trump.
“You know, my son is a big Ronaldo fan”said Donald Trump in his speech at the beginning of the dinner, adding that Barron, aged 19, had the opportunity to meet the superstar, reports Agerpres.
The world of football was also represented at the event by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a new appearance at the White House ahead of the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States. For Cristiano Ronaldo, this championship will be “no doubt” the last, AFP notes.
Billionaire Elon Musk was also present – although he was seated at a different table from Donald Trump’s – a sign of warming relations between the president and the world’s richest man.
The SpaceX and Tesla founder led DOGE – the department for government efficiency – for five months and accompanied Donald Trump on a trip to Saudi Arabia in May. In June, however, tensions broke out between the two, with Musk criticizing Trump’s budget project.
