(foto: Instagram)
Donald Trump hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as an “incredible guy” after gifting him a golden key to the White House and receiving a personal thank-you call from the football legend.
Donald Trump has expressed his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo after the football superstar personally called to thank him for a private tour of the Oval Office. The former U.S. president described Ronaldo as an “incredible guy” following the meeting, which took place during the Portuguese forward’s visit to Washington, D.C.
Ronaldo, who currently plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr, was among the high-profile guests invited to a star-studded dinner in the American capital last month, which also featured Elon Musk and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. After the event, Trump personally hosted Ronaldo and his fiancée Georgina Rodríguez for a private tour of the White House.
On Truth Social, Trump revealed details of the football icon’s follow-up call, writing: “Cristiano Ronaldo, the GREAT soccer (football!) player, just called to thank me for his tour this week of the White House and Oval Office. What an incredible guy he is, not only as an athlete, but as a person. You don’t get any better!!!”
During the visit, Trump presented Ronaldo with a golden key to the White House — a rare and symbolic gift reportedly designed by Trump himself rather than an official presidential tradition. It is a personal honor that only a few global figures have received, including Elon Musk, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.
Photos from the visit showed Ronaldo holding a model of a B-2 stealth bomber — the same aircraft type used during a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in 2020, under Trump’s administration. The meeting marked Ronaldo’s first public appearance in the United States since 2017, when he faced — and later vehemently denied — a rape accusation from an American woman.
The encounter between the two global icons — one from football, one from politics — drew significant media attention, with Trump’s public praise reinforcing his admiration for Ronaldo’s career and character. The 40-year-old remains one of the most recognisable athletes in the world and continues to play at the top level for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.