Watch: Ronaldo attends White House dinner with Trump and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman

Portugal’s football star Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday made a surprise appearance at the White House for US President Donald Trump’s state dinner for the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Ronaldo, who has scored more than 950 goals for club and country, plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr under a contract running until 2027. The club is majority-owned by the Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has poured billions into sport and entertainment as part of Saudi Arabia’s global branding push.

According to the New York Times, high-profile guests were invited to the state dinner. Among those expected to attend were Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk; FIFA president Gianni Infantino; Chevron chief executive Mike Wirth; Blackstone co-founder Stephen A. Schwarzman; General Motors chief executive Mary Barra; and Ford Motor executive chairman William Clay Ford Jr. US Vice President JD Vance, along with Donald Trump Jr.

Ronaldo announced earlier this month that the 2025 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the last of his career. His most recent appearance on American soil dates back to August 2014, when he featured as a substitute for Real Madrid in a friendly against Manchester United in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Crown Prince’s visit to US came as the Saudi leader continues his effort to strengthen ties with Washington after the 2018 killing of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

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