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Trump Tells Ronaldo ‘My Son Is a Big Fan’ at White House Dinner with Musk, Saudi Crown Prince
Cristiano Ronaldo, Elon Musk and FIFA’s Gianni Infantino joined President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a White House dinner where Trump praised Ronaldo, saying his son is a “big fan.” The event also signaled a renewed rapport between Trump and Musk.
Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk were among the high-profile guests at a grand White House dinner hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump in honour of visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday.
Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr—a team emblematic of the kingdom’s big spending on global football stars despite ongoing criticism of its human rights record—was seated close to the head of the table just moments before Trump and the crown prince arrived. The 40-year-old’s contract with Al Nassr expires this summer.
In his remarks before dinner, Trump said, “You know, my son is a big fan of Ronaldo,” noting that his 19-year-old son Barron, an avid football follower, had already met the legendary forward.
“I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you,” Trump joked.
Ronaldo wasn’t the only football figure in attendance. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also joined the dinner, continuing his frequent visits to the White House ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which the United States will co-host. Ronaldo reaffirmed that next year’s World Cup—after Portugal’s qualification on Sunday—will “definitely” be his last.
Tech magnate Elon Musk was another notable attendee, signalling a thaw in his previously fractured relationship with Trump. Musk, who served for five months as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and travelled with Trump to Saudi Arabia in May, had fallen out with the president in July after criticizing Trump’s major spending bill and referencing his name in files connected to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump had retaliated by threatening Musk with deportation.
At the dinner, Musk—dressed in a tuxedo—was seen mingling with other guests at a separate table.
Trump also used the occasion to praise Mohammed bin Salman, calling him a “man of leadership”, and once again defended the crown prince over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
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