Cristiano Ronaldo, Elon Musk join Donald Trump at White House dinner

Cristiano Ronaldo and billionaire Elon Musk attended a dinner hosted yesterday (November 18) at the White House by U.S. President Donald Trump in honor of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Portuguese star of Al Nassr continues his career in Saudi Arabia, like many other professionals approaching the end of their playing years and drawn by the kingdom’s enormous salaries, despite criticism over its human rights record, CE Report quotes ANA-MPA.

The 40-year-old CR7 was seated in a prominent position, not far from Donald Trump.

“You know, my son is a huge fan of Ronaldo,” Trump said in his speech before the dinner, adding that his 19-year-old son, Barron, has met the famous superstar.

The world of football was also represented by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, making yet another appearance at the White House ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which the United States will co-host with Mexico and Canada. For Cristiano Ronaldo, this World Cup will be the last of his career.

Billionaire Elon Musk was also present, although seated at a different table from Donald Trump — a sign of the current state of relations between the president and the world’s richest man.

The founder of SpaceX and Tesla spent five months leading the DOGE Committee on Government Efficiency and accompanied Donald Trump on a trip to Saudi Arabia in May. However, tensions between the two men erupted in June after Musk criticized Trump’s budget bill. He had also stated that the president was involved in matters related to the late Jeffrey Epstein, who had been convicted of sexual crimes.

During the dinner, Donald Trump praised the Saudi crown prince, calling him “a man of leadership,” after once again defending him regarding the 2018 killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.