Ronaldo, Musk attend Trump’s White House dinner with Saudi crown prince

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.