Ronaldo and Musk, high-profile guests at the dinner between Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince

Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and billionaire Elon Musk attended the lavish dinner hosted Tuesday at the White House by US President Donald Trump in honor of visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays for the Saudi club Al Nassr, like many professionals at the end of their careers seduced by the kingdom's extravagant spending, which has been criticized for its human rights record.

The 40-year-old player, whose contract with the Saudi club expires this summer, was prominently featured, not far from Donald Trump.

"You know, my son is a big Ronaldo fan," Donald Trump said in his speech before dinner, adding that Barron, 19, had been able to meet the superstar.

The world of football was also represented by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, in another appearance at the White House ahead of the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States.

For Cristiano Ronaldo, this World Cup will "without a doubt" be his last.

Billionaire Elon Musk was also present, although seated at a different table from Donald Trump, a sign of warming relations between the president and the world's richest man.

The founder of SpaceX and Tesla spent five months heading a government efficiency commission, Doge, and accompanied Donald Trump on a trip to Saudi Arabia in May.

But tensions between the two men erupted in June after Mr. Musk criticized Donald Trump's budget bill. He also stated that the president was implicated in cases related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

During the dinner, Donald Trump praised the Saudi prince, calling him a "man of leadership," after he had defended his guest in the case of the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.