Cristiano Ronaldo To Visit White House On Same Day As Saudi Crown Prince

Superstar footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is to sojourn nan White House connected Tuesday, a US charismatic has confirmed - nan aforesaid time arsenic nan leader of Saudi Arabia wherever nan Portuguese presently plays nan game.

The White House charismatic did not opportunity Ronaldo was portion of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's charismatic delegation.

However his starring domiciled successful nan Saudi shot convention has seen him go a look of nan country's modernisation thrust nether nan crown prince, nan country's de-facto ruler, who wants to trim nan country's dependence connected lipid revenues by diversifying into different areas including sports and tourism.

The footballer is not believed to person been to nan US since 2016.

In nan interim he has faced an allegation of intersexual assault. Kathryn Mayorga alleged that Ronaldo raped her successful a Las Vegas edifice room successful 2009, which he denied.

"I firmly contradict nan accusations being issued against me. Rape is an barbaric crime that goes against everything that I americium and judge in," he said successful a connection successful 2018.

In 2019, US prosecutors said Ronaldo would not look charges because nan claims could not beryllium proven.

In early 2023, Ronaldo made nan jump to Saudi Arabia erstwhile he became nan look of nan Saudi Pro League and skipper of Al Nassr - nan shot nine owned by sovereign wealthiness money PIF which is chaired by nan crown prince.

In an manufacture wherever players are paid bonzer amounts of money, Ronaldo's salary woody pinch Saudi Arabia was astronomical. The footballer was reportedly paid $200m (£152m) a twelvemonth - aliases much than half a cardinal dollars a day.

Then successful June this year, he signed a caller two-year woody for a reported full of $400m (£300m) and became football's first billionaire player, according to Bloomberg, pinch a nett worthy of $1.4bn.

That's a batch of money for a 40-year-old footballer successful nan twilight of his career.

But, according to Sanam Vakil, head of nan Middle East and North Africa programme astatine Chatham House, Saudi Arabia has "invested heavy successful precocious floor plan events and individuals to put nan kingdom connected nan map" successful position of sports and tourism successful its quest for modernism.

Ronaldo has referred to Prince Mohammed arsenic "our boss" successful an question and reply pinch broadcaster Piers Morgan.

Earlier this month, he appeared astatine a Ministry of Tourism arena successful Riyadh wherever he talked up nan kingdom's improvement projects and his hopes for nan 2034 FIFA World Cup being held successful Saudi Arabia.

As for gathering Trump, Vakil says: "The US president likes shiny things and Ronaldo is simply a shiny thing."

Though nan footballer has loftier ambitions for nan gathering successful Washington - world peace.

In July, European Council president Antonio Costa handed Trump a Portugal jersey signed by Ronaldo which read: "To president Donald J. Trump, Playing for Peace."

He told Morgan: "I dream to beryllium down pinch him someday because he's 1 of those group I really like.

"I deliberation he tin make things hap and I respect group for illustration that."