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'Saudi Super League Superstar'Cristiano Ronaldo will accompany Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his visit to the U.S.
On the 19th (Korea time), the BBC confirmed to a U.S. government official that Cristiano Ronaldo is scheduled to visit the White House on Tuesday. 'This is the same day that the leader of Saudi Arabia, the country where Ronaldo from Portugal currently plays, visits the White House,' the report said. A White House official did not disclose that Ronaldo was included in the official delegation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
However, Ronaldo's trip to the U.S., who has become a symbol of the national modernization drive led by the de facto national ruler, Crown Prince Bin Salman, is not strange. Prince Bin Salman has shown a strong willingness to diversify his industry into various fields such as sports and tourism to reduce dependence on oil exports.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has not visited the U.S. since 2016. The alleged sexual assault was the reason. In 2009, Catherine Mallorga claimed to have been raped by Ronaldo in a Las Vegas hotel room, which Ronaldo denied. In a 2018 statement, Ronaldo `firmly denies the allegations against me. Rape is a heinous crime against all values I believe and pursue, and in 2019, U.S. prosecutors dismissed Ronaldo for impossible to prove the allegations.
In early 2023, Ronaldo made a surprise move to Saudi Arabia, kicking the captain's armband of Al Nasr, a leading Saudi professional league club and club owned by sovereign wealth fund PIF chaired by the crown prince. Ronaldo's contract in the Saudi league is astronomical, and Ronaldo's annual salary is reportedly $200 million (about 270 billion won), which is more than $500,000 a day. In June this year, Ronaldo signed a two-year contract worth a total of 400 million U.S. dollars. According to Bloomberg, Ronaldo's net worth is $1.4 billion, making him the first billionaire player in football. It is a huge amount of money that is hard to imagine for a soccer player in his 40s who is in the final years of his career.
Chatham House, Middle East and North Africa Program Director, Sanam Bakil, said, `Saudi Arabia seeks modernization and has invested heavily in famous events and figures to put the kingdom on the world map in sports and tourism'" he explained. In an interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan, Ronaldo actually referred to Crown Prince Bin Salman as "our boss".
Attending a Saudi Arabian tourism ministry event in Riyadh early last month, he also publicly expressed his support and expectations for Saudi Arabia's development project and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Regarding his meeting with President Trump, Bakil said, `The president of the United States likes to be shiny, and Ronaldo is that kind of sparkle.' Ronaldo is expected to deliver a message of world peace at his Washington meeting with Trump. In July, European Council President António Costa handed Trump a uniform for the Portuguese national team 'Ronaldo Sign'. "To President Donald J. Trump, a player who plays for peace," the uniform reads. In an interview with Morgan, Ronaldo said, `I want to have a conversation with him one day. Because he's one of the people I really like." "I think he's the one who can make things happen. I respect those people."
President Trump has already met the Saudi crown prince at the Oval Office, and the next meeting will take place at a luxurious black tie gala dinner in the East Room of the White House. Ronaldo is also expected to attend the event.
The White House has so far remained silent on the attendance list, but reports say it will also include a large number of CEOs of major U.S. companies with business relations with Saudi Arabia.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
