 "Cristiano Ronaldo visited the White House as President Donald Trump hosted a dinner to honour Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Image: Insta-Ronaldo")
Cristiano Ronaldo is facing strong criticism from fans around the world after he attended a White House dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump . The Portuguese star travelled to Washington as part of the Saudi Arabian delegation led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, has become one of the biggest global faces of the Kingdom. Many people see him as an important part of the country’s plan to promote its image. But others say he is helping Saudi Arabia hide its human rights problems, accusing him of being involved in “sportswashing”.
Sportswashing is a term often used to refer to the efforts of Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries to improve their reputation through the use of sports. They have been pushing hard to bring major global events to their country one after another, including the FIFA World Cup. Qatar hosted it in 2022, and Saudi is set to do the same in 2034.
Ronaldo also visited the Oval Office and shared a picture with President Trump on social media. In his post, Ronaldo thanked Trump for the “warm welcome” and said he hoped to inspire younger generations to work for courage, responsibility, and lasting peace.
Fans unhappy with Ronaldo’s meeting with Trump
But the photo with Trump did not go down well with a large section of fans. Many were upset because they felt Ronaldo was showing support to a political leader known for his strict policies. Some fans said they felt disappointed and betrayed by Ronaldo’s public praise of Trump.
“I wasn’t expecting this. this is very sad,” one user wrote. “So disappointed on Ronaldo not a fan no more,” another fan wrote. “With all due respect Cristiano… this one you got wrong,” another fan commented.
This comes only a month after Ronaldo told Piers Morgan that he admired Trump and wanted to meet him someday. Ronaldo is expected to visit the United States against next year to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Canada, USA, and Mexico.