Cristiano Ronaldo has been lined up for a diplomatic visit to the White House more than a decade after his last appearance in the United States

"Cristiano Ronaldo and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman are set to visit the White House, marking Ronaldo's first United States appearance since 2014. Donald Trump will welcome Bin Salman to the seat of American government on Tuesday and Ronaldo is expected to attend a meeting there on the same day. Ronaldo was suspended for Portugal's concluding World Cup 2026 qualifier but they secured their finals berth without him, raising questions about the 40-year-old's long-standing absence from one of its host nations."

"The Portugal captain has been notably uninvolved in any football activity in the United States. Ronaldo's absence in the U.S. has been magnified since 2017 when the German newspaper Der Spiegel revealed details of an alleged sexual assault involving Ronaldo and the model Kathryn Mayorga during a holiday in Las Vegas in 2009 always strenuously denied by Ronaldo and for which charges have never been brought, report Adam Crafton and Henry Bushnell of The Athletic."

"In recent months, Ronaldo has also been part of diplomatic efforts to woo Trump. In July, the European Council president Antonio Costa [himself Portuguese], gave the US President a Portugal jersey signed by Ronaldo during a Group Seven summit in Canada. It was a No. 7 jersey, signed by Ronaldo." A visit to the White House on Tuesday would end speculation about Ronaldo's willingness or ability to lead Portugal at the World Cup next summer but is primarily a matter of Saudi Arabian diplomacy."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman will visit the White House, with Donald Trump welcoming Bin Salman and Ronaldo expected to attend a meeting that day. The visit would be Ronaldo's first United States appearance since 2014. Ronaldo missed Portugal's final World Cup 2026 qualifier through suspension while Portugal secured qualification without him. Ronaldo's absence from the U.S. has been amplified by a 2017 Der Spiegel report about an alleged 2009 sexual assault involving Kathryn Mayorga, allegations Ronaldo denies and for which no charges were brought. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund owns Al Nassr, which employed Ronaldo in 2023.

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