(Washington) 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 visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays for the Saudi club Al Nassr, like many professionals at the end of their career seduced by the sky-high spending of the kingdom, criticized for its record on human rights.
The 40-year-old, whose contract with the Saudi club expires this summer, featured prominently, not far from Donald Trump.
“You know, my son is a big fan of Ronaldo,” Donald Trump said in his pre-dinner speech, adding that Barron, 19, got to meet the superstar.
The world of football was also represented by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a new appearance at the White House before the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States.
For Cristiano Ronaldo, this World Cup will “without a doubt” be his last.
PHOTO TOM BRENNER, REUTERS
Elon Musk
Billionaire Elon Musk was also present, although seated at a different table from Donald Trump, a sign of warming relations between the president and the richest man in the world.
The founder of Space X and Tesla spent five months as head of a government efficiency commission, Doge, and accompanied Donald Trump on a trip to Saudi Arabia in May.
PHOTO TOM BRENNER, REUTERS
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Donald Trump
But tensions between the two men exploded in June after Mr. Musk criticized Donald Trump’s budget bill. He also said that the president was included in files linked to sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.
During the dinner, Donald Trump praised the Saudi prince, calling him a “man of leadership”, after defending his guest in the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
