Cristiano Ronaldo met with Barron Trump earlier than being honored by his father at a White Home dinner on Tuesday night time.
Donald Trump hosted the glitzy occasion to welcome the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, to Washington DC.
Ronaldo, who performs within the Saudi Professional League, is a part of the delegation and he was joined within the nation’s capital by his fiancee, Georgina Rodriguez. The 40-year-old was seen in a black tuxedo as he took his seat alongside the likes of Elon Musk and vice chairman JD Vance.
It marked the soccer star’s first public look on US soil since being accused of rape by an American instructor in 2017. And Trump namechecked Ronaldo throughout his speech on the dinner, revealing that the Portugal star had earlier been launched to his son, who is a large soccer fan.
‘This room is loaded up with the largest leaders on the earth – enterprise, sports activities…’ Trump stated. ‘My son is a giant fan of Ronaldo… Barron acquired to fulfill him and I believe he respects his father slightly bit extra now – simply the truth that I launched you. So I simply wish to thanks each for being right here.’
Barron Trump beforehand frolicked within the youth ranks of MLS workforce DC United, in response to stories. Outdated footage of the 19-year-old’s soccer highlights went viral in December 2024 and he beforehand invited England legend Wayne Rooney to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Cristiano Ronaldo was among the many visitors at a White Home dinner on Tuesday night time
President Donald Trump revealed that the soccer star met his 19-year-old son Barron
Ronaldo sat close to First Girl Melania Trump in the course of the dinner within the White Home East Room
Barron is a large soccer fan and a video of his expertise went viral in December 2024
Ronaldo, 40, is pictured throughout Portugal’s World Cup qualifier in opposition to the Republic of Eire
Trump final 12 months recalled a dialog with Barron, when he tried to influence his 6ft 7in son to pursue one other sport. ‘I stated: “You are gonna be a basketball participant,”‘ the president stated. ‘Properly I like soccer dad, really,’ Barron replied.
The president continued: ‘I assumed… at you are top I like basketball higher however you may’t speak them into every little thing.’
Tuesday additionally marked the primary time that the Saudi Crown Prince has been in america since US intelligence claimed he accepted the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi within the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Trump sensationally defended the Crown Prince when he was quizzed on Khashoggi’s homicide within the Oval Workplace earlier on Tuesday, scolding the query and, defying the US intelligence report which emerged throughout his first tenure as president, stated Bin Salman ‘knew nothing about it’.
In the meantime the 40-year-old Ronaldo, a participant for Portugal and Saudi workforce Al-Nassr, has not been photographed publicly within the USA since being accused of rape in 2017 by former American instructor Kathryn Mayorga.
Revealing particulars of the alleged sexual assault in a 2017 interview with German newspaper Der Spiegel, Mayorga claimed Ronaldo raped her at a Las Vegas lodge in 2009.
The American lady had reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo in 2010, however spoke out together with her accusations seven years later in an effort to hunt thousands and thousands greater than the $375,000 (£304,000) sum she had obtained.
The lawsuit in opposition to Ronaldo, who has persistently and vehemently denied the allegations, was dismissed by a US choose in 2022 as a result of the accuser’s lawyer relied on leaked and stolen data.
Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White Home
Billionaire Elon Musk was additionally among the many high-profile visitors on the dinner on Tuesday night time
Trump was gifted a Portugal jersey that had been signed by Ronaldo earlier within the 12 months
The footballer has not been seen publicly within the US since 2017 when rape allegations made by Kathryn Mayorga (the American lady pictured with Ronaldo in Las Vegas in 2009)
However since 2017, Ronaldo has not been concerned in any offseason or exhibition video games staged within the US whereas taking part in for Actual Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United and his present workforce.
The matter was thrown again into the highlight on Sunday when Portugal clinched qualification for subsequent summer season’s World Cup, the place nearly all of the event is held in america. Ronaldo and his Portugal workforce are additionally scheduled to play america in Atlanta subsequent March in a pleasant.
Ronaldo has been making strikes to attraction to Trump, seemingly utilizing his stardom as one of many sport’s biggest and hottest gamers ever to catch his eye.
In July, Trump was gifted a Portugal soccer jersey by Portuguese European Council president Antonio Costa. It was signed by Ronaldo, who wrote: ‘To president Donald J. Trump, Enjoying for Peace.’
And final week, in an interview with Trump’s previous good friend Piers Morgan, Ronaldo stated he hoped to fulfill Trump and praised his peacemaking efforts.
‘He is without doubt one of the guys who will help to vary the world,’ Ronaldo stated. ‘One of the vital essential guys is the US President.
‘He is without doubt one of the guys I want to meet to sit down and have a pleasant speak. Whether it is right here, or within the US, wherever he needs, I do know he was right here in Saudi with our boss MBS (Mohammed bin Salman).
‘I want someday to fulfill him as a result of he is without doubt one of the guys who could make issues occur and I like individuals like that.’
In Trump’s second time period as President, he has labored laborious to align himself with sporting stars each throughout america and past.
Trump and Bin Salman pictured collectively as they stroll in the direction of the Oval Workplace on Tuesday
Ronaldo was joined on his go to to the White Home by his fiancee, Georgina Rodriguez
He turned the primary sitting President to attend a Tremendous Bowl in February and in addition made a high-profile journey to the Ryder Cup in late September, simply outdoors of New York.
Trump has additionally attended the US Open males’s last, the Daytona 500, a Yankees sport on the anniversary of 9/11 and lately attended the Washington Commanders’ NFL sport in opposition to the Detroit Lions outdoors of DC.
Ronaldo’s go to to Washington got here on the identical day Congress voted virtually unanimously to pressure the discharge of Justice Division information on the late convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump had fought the transfer for months earlier than ending his opposition and, two days after Trump’s abrupt about-face, the Home of Representatives handed the measure with a vote of 427-1, sending a decision requiring the discharge of all unclassified data on Epstein to the Republican-majority Senate, which swiftly accepted it.
The invoice may now go to Trump for his signature as quickly as Wednesday.
