US President Donald Trump has shared a special message praising Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, describing him as one of the greatest players in history.
Trump posted a video on his TikTok account, which included an AI-generated clip showing him playing football alongside Ronaldo. In the video message, he said that Ronaldo is the greatest player of all time and urged him to come to the United States immediately, adding that the country needs him soon.
The video surfaced following Ronaldo’s visit to the Oval Office last November, when he travelled to the White House as part of a Saudi delegation. During that visit, Ronaldo met Trump and attended a dinner. At the time, Trump noted that his son was a fan of the footballer and thanked him for the visit.
This was Ronaldo’s first visit to the United States since 2016, when he toured the country with his former club Real Madrid during a pre-season trip.
Recently, Trump has also been active in football-related events. He attended the FIFA Club World Cup final held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and was honoured with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the draw ceremony for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Analysts suggest that Trump’s message could be interpreted as an informal invitation for Ronaldo to consider joining Major League Soccer (MLS), potentially reigniting his long-standing sporting rivalry with Lionel Messi, who is currently playing in the United States.
