Cristiano Ronaldo has thanked US President Donald Trump after receiving a personal invitation to the White House, where he was presented with the symbolic golden key during a high-profile dinner that also involved Saudi crown price Mohammed Bin Salman.
Ronaldo was among the chief guests at the Washington event and was seated in the front row as both Trump and Bin Salman addressed the dignitaries.
In the wake of his special visit to White House, Ronaldo has thanked Trump on social media, expressing his gratitude for getting the personal invitation.
The Al Nassr forward shared a few photos of his interaction with Trump on Instagram. He also posted a reel about his visit to the White House, mostly involving his picture with Trump.
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"Thank you Mr President, for your invitation and for the warm welcome you and the First Lady gave me and my future wife, @georginagio. Each of us has something meaningful to give, and I stand ready to do my part as we inspire new generations to build a future defined by courage, responsibility and lasting peace," Ronaldo wrote in his post.
Ronaldo's visit to the White House came in the wake of Portugal's qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
One would assume the US would like to leverage Ronaldo's global popularity to promote football in the country.
Ronaldo is indeed one of the most recognisable faces in the world, with the Portuguese international recently becoming the first footballer to become a billionaire.
Ronaldo is also the most followed Instagram celebrity with almost 670 million followers, significantly higher than second-placed Lionel Messi, who has just over 500 million followers.