Cristiano Ronaldo Shines at White House Gala Dinner with President Donald Trump

On Tuesday, the White House hosted a gala dinner to honour the Saudi Arabian delegation led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is on an official visit to the United States. The surprise of the evening was Cristiano Ronaldo, who attended with his fiancée, Georgina Rodríguez, as part of the Saudi representation and was even mentioned in President Donald Trump's speech.

"This room is filled with the world's greatest leaders: in business, in sports...", said the American president during his address before mentioning the football star. "My son is a big fan of Ronaldo... He had the chance to meet him and I think he respects me a bit more now, just for introducing them. So I just want to thank both of you for being here," he expressed.

However, it seems that Barron, aged 19, was not the only one interested in getting close to the popular forward of the Portuguese national team. Cristiano was the centre of attention, and many guests wanted to take pictures with him. Among the highlighted images of the night was a selfie featuring the athlete alongside Georgina and Elon Musk. With them were FIFA President Gianni Infantino, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and investor David Sacks.

The snapshot reflects the union of sporting, economic, technological, and political power mentioned by the Republican leader in his speech. Notably, the presence of Tesla's CEO at this dinner, following his resignation from the position of Director of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration last April, demonstrates the thawing of relations between the president and the magnate.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the face of the Saudi Professional League and captain of Al Nassr, owned by the sovereign wealth fund PIF, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Moreover, the sports star has become a symbol of the opening of the Arab country, with the unwavering support of his fiancée and mother of his children.

This visit marked the footballer's return to the United States, a country he had not visited since 2017. That year, the German newspaper 'Der Spiegel' reported the reopening of the case involving former model Kathryn Mayorga, who had accused the athlete of alleged sexual assault in 2009 at a Las Vegas hotel. According to the German media, the woman had revealed a supposed agreement with the footballer, who was then playing for Juventus in Turin, worth $375,000 in exchange for her silence. Accusations that Cristiano Ronaldo categorically denied, accusing the complainant of wanting to "promote herself" using his name. By his side, unwavering, Georgina Rodríguez dedicated some emotional words to him: "You always turn the obstacles placed in your path into momentum and strength to grow and show how great you are."

In 2019, the U.S. justice system decided not to prosecute CR7 in criminal courts due to lack of evidence, and in the civil case, the judge recommended the case be closed. Finally, in June 2022, a Nevada court dismissed the case, also ruling out the civil route.

Without any blemish, Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to the United States in grand style, becoming one of the protagonists of the night at an event that brought together names such as David Ellison, Hollywood producer; Tim Cook, Apple CEO; and Michael Dell, investor and philanthropist considered one of the ten richest people in the world according to Forbes.