When Donald Trump wooed the Saudi Arabian delegation led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the White House, football celebrities also took a seat at the US President’s table: on the one hand, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who maintains a close exchange with Trump in view of next year’s World Cup finals – and the former world footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who is paid handsomely at Al-Sadd in Saudi Arabia.
However, the 40-year-old apparently made Trump’s offspring in particular happy with his presence.
“You know, my son is a big Ronaldo fan,” Trump said in his speech before the dinner, adding that his son Barron (19) was able to get to know the former world footballer on this occasion: “I think he has even more respect for his father now, just because I introduced you to him.” A selfie from the evening reception made the rounds online, showing Ronaldo with his partner Georgina, Infantino and tech billionaire Elon Musk, among others.
The Portuguese Ronaldo will face his sixth and supposedly “final” World Cup next summer at the finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico, something no footballer has ever achieved before. At the same time, high earner Ronaldo has repeatedly appeared as an ambassador for the Saudi regime, which is controversial in many Western countries. Saudi Arabia launched a sports offensive a few years ago, and the oil state is hosting more and more major events. The highlight will be the 2034 World Cup.