A Portuguese at the World’s Top Table

On Tuesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t on a football pitch; he was at the White House, sitting near the front of the East Room at an exclusive dinner hosted by President Donald Trump in honour of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Around him were some of the most powerful people in politics and business – including tech titans like Elon Musk and Tim Cook.

Trump even joked that the presence of Portugal’s number 7 had boosted his own standing at home: his son Barron, a lifelong Ronaldo fan, finally thought his father was a bit "cooler" after getting to meet his hero.

In other words: Portugal’s national hero is being treated like a peer by the people who run the world. And that matters.

From Madeira to the White House

Ronaldo’s journey from the streets of Madeira to the most watched room in Washington is not an accident or a PR stunt. It is the logical consequence of two decades of excellence.

He is a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, the man who helped deliver Euro 2016 and Nations League glory for Portugal, and one of the top scorers in football history.

After his second spell at Manchester United ended in late 2022, he signed for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on a contract reportedly worth around $200 million a year, later extended to keep him there through the mid-2020s.

That move didn’t just change his bank account. It helped re-shape the global football map:

• Saudi Arabia has used sport to project "soft power" – launching LIV Golf, hosting Formula 1, big boxing cards, and more.
• Following Ronaldo, stars like Neymar and Karim Benzema also moved to the Saudi league.
• FIFA has now awarded Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup, with Ronaldo publicly supportive of the bid.

You can like this trend or hate it, but you cannot deny one fact: a Portuguese player is at the centre of it.

Why This Moment Matters for Portugal

For a small country, having a global symbol like Ronaldo at that table is not just about football. It is about:

• A Portuguese citizen being name-checked by the President of the United States at a state-level dinner.
• Our flag, our language, and our story being carried into rooms where most countries will never be represented.
• Proof for the Portuguese diaspora – from Newark to Luxembourg – that "one of ours" can become a first-name-only global brand.

When Commentary Turns into Caricature

And yet, back home, parts of the commentariat just couldn’t help themselves.

On SIC, one commentator lamented that Ronaldo’s presence in Washington was "totally condemnable" and presented it as another chapter in Saudi "image cleansing." Others framed the evening as a cynical distraction from global atrocities, and even suggested that if Ronaldo really cared about peace, he should fly directly to Palestine or Ukraine with his "circus" instead of attending a dinner in Washington.

This isn’t serious analysis anymore. It is a reflex of negativity:

• Ronaldo appears with world leaders? It must be "sportswashing."
• Ronaldo earns a huge salary in Saudi Arabia? He is automatically a moral villain.
• Ronaldo enjoys a moment with fans, family, and powerful people? Somehow, it has to be about geopolitics and the commentator’s favourite grievance of the week.

Criticism is fair. Calling out human rights issues is necessary. But turning every single thing Ronaldo does into a moral crime doesn’t make you principled – it makes you predictable.

Not Everything Has to Be About Palestine (or Any Other Conflict)

A state dinner in Washington that brings together a U.S. president, the Saudi crown prince, global CEOs, and arguably the most famous footballer on the planet is already newsworthy in itself. It is about power, diplomacy, money, and yes, football. It doesn’t need to be turned into a lecture about what Ronaldo should have done instead.

His titles, goals, and records at club and international level, his longevity at the very top, and his role in putting Portugal on the map for millions who barely knew where we were, are all undeniable facts.

And yet, some voices in our own media seem almost allergic to saying anything positive about him. The more the world applauds, the more certain pundits double down on sneering. When he lifts trophies, they nitpick his behaviour. When he enters historic rooms representing himself and, like it or not, our country, they paint it as a disgrace.

At some point, you have to ask: who exactly is being served by this constant trash-talk?

It’s not Portugal. It’s not the millions of fans who feel pride watching one of ours being treated as an equal by global leaders. And it certainly isn't viewers who tune in hoping for insight and instead get sermon after sermon about how they should feel guilty for admiring a footballer.

Let Ronaldo Be Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is not perfect. No one is. His choices can and should be debated. But there is a big difference between honest criticism and a joyless, never-ending campaign to turn every moment of his life into a scandal.

On Tuesday night, our national hero wasn’t scoring a hat-trick or lifting a trophy. He was simply in a room where a kid from Madeira was never supposed to end up – shaking hands, smiling for photos, and hearing the President of the United States praise him in front of the world.

Sometimes, that’s enough.

Portugal doesn’t have so many global symbols that we can afford to spend all our energy tearing this one down. We can keep our critical thinking and still allow ourselves a moment of pride when Cristiano Ronaldo — Portuguese, born and raised — is treated as an equal among the world’s most powerful figures.

Let the commentators rant if they want. The rest of us can simply recognise what everyone else in that room already knows: Portugal’s national hero is being respected by global leaders — and that is a win for all of us.