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New Delhi: Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo attended the White House dinner, along with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, hosted by US President Donald Trump. The Portuguese footballer was seated near the front of the East Room, along with major businessmen such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla founder Elon Musk, on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of the event, Trump said it was an "honour" to host Ronaldo, who has been the face of the Saudi football league since joining Al-Nassr at the end of 2022 on a reported $200 million-a-year contract.
He then signed a two-year extension in June with Al-Nassr, which is majority owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund that the crown prince chairs. The US President thanked the footballer for attending the dinner and said that his youngest son, Barron, is 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.
Prince Mohammed was visiting the White House for the first time after a period of diplomatic isolation, which started in 2018 after the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in a consulate office in Istanbul.
U.S. intelligence agencies determined that the Crown Prince probably directed the operation, but he has denied any role in the killing. This was Ronaldo's first visit to the US, after last playing in the country in 2014.
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play at a record sixth edition of the FIFA World Cup next year after Portugal qualified for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
However, the striker is set to be banned by FIFA for Portugal's opening match next June after getting his first red card last week in 22 years of playing for the national team. Portugal will learn its World Cup opponents on December 5 at the tournament draw, which is set to be attended by Trump at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
