Cristiano Ronaldo will join the Saudi crown prince on a visit to the White House

Cristiano Ronaldo will be at the White House on Tuesday, where Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will meet US President Donald Trump for a visit full of pomp and circumstance.

Details of Ronaldo’s involvement were first reported by MS NOW and confirmed The Associated Press by two people familiar with the event. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans were confidential.

Ronaldo has been the face of the Saudi football league since joining Saudi club Al-Nassr in late 2022 on a contract reportedly worth $200 million per year.

The 40-year-old Portuguese star signed a two-year extension in June with Al-Nassr, which is majority owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund chaired by the crown prince.

Prince Mohammed is visiting the White House for the first time since a period of diplomatic isolation began in 2018 following the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in a consulate office in Istanbul. US intelligence agencies determined that Prince Mohammed was likely in charge of the operation. He has denied involvement in the murder.

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It will also be a rare visit to the US for Ronaldo, who has not played in the country since 2014.

In 2017, German news magazine The mirror reported that Ronaldo had years earlier paid $375,000 in hush money to a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. Ronaldo’s lawyers maintained that the sex was consensual and that no criminal charges were ever filed.

Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup after FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, shaped an accelerated bidding process two years ago that ensured no rival bid emerged.

Ronaldo promoted that bid, saying last December, when the Saudi victory was confirmed, «after what I see, I am more convinced that 2034 will be the best World Cup ever.»

Ronaldo will play in a record sixth edition of the World Cup next year after Portugal qualified on Sunday for the tournament co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. However, he is likely to be ruled out by FIFA for Portugal’s first match in June next year after receiving his first red card in 23 seasons playing for the national team last week.

Portugal will get to know their World Cup opponents on December 5 during the tournament draw, which Trump will attend at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Trump has closely aligned himself with the 2026 World Cup. In the Oval Office he has a copy of the gold trophy lent to him by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Trump and Prince Mohammed are expected to sign defense and business deals worth billions of dollars.

Published on November 18, 2025