""President Trump is keenly aware of the symbolism of hosting the World Cup during the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and as we saw at the Club World Cup he seeks to closely associate himself with the glitz and glamor of the tournament," Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Middle East fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, told DW."
""This has played out very visibly with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, so it is no surprise to see Cristiano Ronaldo be drawn into the triangular Trump-Infantino-MBS orbit, given the significance of Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia and the importance of the Saudi relationship both to Trump and to FIFA.""
""I want to be part of Saudi Arabia's efforts to host the World Cup," Ronaldo said. "I believe in the tourism vision in the kingdom.""
Cristiano Ronaldo attended a White House dinner with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and US President Donald Trump on November 18. Ronaldo has played club football in Saudi Arabia since 2023 and had not been in the USA for nearly a decade after 2009 rape allegations; charges were dropped in 2019 and a related lawsuit was dismissed in 2022. Observers connect his appearance to Trump's effort to associate with World Cup glamour during the US 250th anniversary and to ties among Trump, FIFA leadership and Saudi interests. Saudi Arabia faces criticism for using sport to distract from human rights concerns. Ronaldo promoted Saudi tourism and expressed interest in Saudi efforts to host the 2034 World Cup, and some describe his role as paid window dressing.
Read at www.dw.com
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