Donald Trump joked that his son Barron now “respects his father a little bit more” after meeting soccer megastar Cristiano Ronaldo at the White House on Tuesday.
During a dinner honoring Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump told guests: “This room is loaded up with the biggest leaders in the world — business, sports. My son is a big fan of Ronaldo, wherever Ronaldo is here, and Barron got to meet him. And I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you.”
“So I just want to thank you both for being here,” he added.
It’s unclear what 19-year-old Barron, a devoted soccer fan, and the 40-year-old billionaire Portuguese athlete discussed, or if the president chatted too.
After starring for European giants Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United, striker Ronaldo joined Saudi club Al Nassr in 2023 as the marquee face of the Saudi Pro League.
The league has drawn top-tier players with massive contracts as part of Saudi Arabia’s push to diversify its economy through sports and tourism, a strategy critics have widely dismissed as “sportswashing.”
In a recent interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, Ronaldo said he hoped to “one day” meet Trump because of his importance, while also claiming to be more famous worldwide than the president.
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