Cristiano Ronaldo took a outstanding selfie alongside Elon Musk and a number of the world’s strongest figures at a White Home dinner hosted by Donald Trump.
The soccer star was joined by his fiancee Georgina Rodriguez for the glitzy occasion to welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington DC.
Trump paid tribute to Ronaldo, 40, throughout his speech on the dinner, which introduced a number of the world’s richest and most recognizable names to the White Home.
In a while Tuesday evening, tech founder and investor David Sacks posted a selfie from contained in the occasion. Ronaldo took the photograph, which additionally included Sacks, Musk, Fifa president Gianni Infantino, Rodriguez and US secretary of commerce, Howard Lutnick.
‘Nice evening!’ Sacks posted alongside the image, which was additionally shared by Lutnick on social media.
Ronaldo, who performs for Al-Nassr within the Saudi Professional League, is a part of the visiting delegation and the 40-year-old wore a black tuxedo as he sat alongside the likes of Musk and vp JD Vance. Others packed into the East Room included Donald Trump Jr, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Home Speaker Mike Johnson and Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner.
Cristiano Ronaldo took a selfie from a White Home dinner hosted by Donald Trump – left to proper: Elon Musk, Gianni Infantino, David Sacks, Allison Lutnick, Howard Lutnick, Ronaldo, Georgina Rodriguez, Greg Brockman
The soccer star was among the many high-profile visitors at a White Home dinner on Tuesday evening
Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington DC
It marked the soccer star’s first public look on US soil since being accused of rape by an American trainer in 2017.
‘This room is loaded up with the most important leaders on the earth – enterprise, sports activities…’ Trump mentioned. ‘My son is a giant fan of Ronaldo… Barron obtained to satisfy him and I believe he respects his father slightly bit extra now – simply the truth that I launched you.’
Tuesday additionally marked the primary time that the Saudi Crown Prince has been in the US since US intelligence claimed he authorized the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi within the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Trump sensationally defended the Crown Prince when he was quizzed by a reporter 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, mentioned Bin Salman ‘knew nothing about it’.
In the meantime the 40-year-old Ronaldo, a participant for Portugal and Al-Nassr, has not been photographed publicly within the USA since being accused of rape in 2017 by former American trainer 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 resort in 2009.
The American lady had reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo in 2010, however spoke out along with her accusations seven years later in an effort to hunt hundreds of thousands greater than the $375,000 (£304,000) sum she had acquired.
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 information.
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.
Ronaldo sat close to First Girl Melania Trump throughout the dinner within the White Home East Room
Throughout his speech, Trump revealed that the soccer star met his 19-year-old son Barron
The matter was thrown again into the highlight on Sunday when Portugal clinched qualification for subsequent summer time’s World Cup, the place nearly all of the event is held in the US. Ronaldo and his Portugal workforce are additionally scheduled to play the US in Atlanta subsequent March in a pleasant.
Ronaldo has been making strikes to enchantment to Trump. 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, Taking part in for Peace.’
And final week, in an interview with Trump’s previous buddy Piers Morgan, Ronaldo mentioned he hoped to satisfy Trump and praised his peacemaking efforts.
‘He is among the guys who might help to vary the world,’ Ronaldo mentioned. ‘Some of the necessary guys is the US President.
‘He is among 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 desires, I do know he was right here in Saudi with our boss MBS (Mohammed bin Salman).
‘I want in the future to satisfy him as a result of he is among the guys who could make issues occur and I like folks like that.’
Ronaldo’s go to to Washington got here on the identical day Congress voted nearly unanimously to pressure the discharge of Justice Division information on the late convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
