Cristiano Ronaldo attends White House dinner in honour of Saudi crown prince

Cristiano Ronaldo joined world leaders and business executives at a White House state dinner Tuesday as US President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his first visit to Washington in seven years.

The Portuguese football star, who has represented Saudi football since joining Al-Nassr in late 2022 on a reported $200 million (€173m) annual contract, was seated near the front of the East Room alongside Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla and X owner Elon Musk, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Trump introduced the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to his 19-year-old son Barron, whom he described as a "big fan" of Ronaldo.

"Barron got to meet him. And I think he respects his father a little bit more, now, just the fact that I introduced you," Trump said during his remarks.

The 40-year-old star, who extended his Al-Nassr contract for two years in June, actively promoted Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 World Cup, calling it "the best World Cup ever" when the kingdom's victory was confirmed last December.

Al-Nassr is majority-owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund that Prince Mohammed chairs.

The dinner was a rare US visit for Ronaldo, who has not played in the country since 2014.

He is set to compete in a record sixth World Cup next year after Portugal qualified on Sunday for the 2026 tournament co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. However, he faces a likely ban for Portugal's opening match after receiving his first red card in 23 seasons of international play.

Visit ends diplomatic isolation

Prince Mohammed's Washington visit ends years of strained relations following the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul.

US intelligence agencies concluded at the time the crown prince likely approved the operation, though he has denied involvement. The incident led to a diplomatic cooling of relations that lasted until this renewed engagement under Trump's administration.

During Tuesday's meetings, Trump dismissed questions about Saudi Arabia's human rights record and the Khashoggi case, calling one reporter "fake news" for raising the topic.

"You don't have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that," Trump told the journalist.

Trump keeps a copy of FIFA's golden trophy in the Oval Office, loaned by Infantino, and is set to attend the World Cup draw on 5 December at Washington's Kennedy Center.

Saudi Arabia secured the hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup through a bidding process that critics described as a fast-track process that eliminated rival candidates.

Trump announced hundreds of billions in new Saudi investment commitments to the United States, though specific details were not disclosed.

The dinner comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its economy through its Vision 2030 reform programme while maintaining strategic partnerships.

At the dinner Tuesday night, Trump announced he was designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, a largely symbolic move that provides foreign partners with some defence, trade and security cooperation benefits.