Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo drew swift backlash on social media after his meet-and-greet with President Donald Trump.
The White House’s caption describing Trump and Ronaldo as “Two GOATS” — meaning “Greatest of All Time” — prompted a wave of trolling. Users replied with images of Leo Messi, the Argentine star who rivaled Ronaldo as the sport’s most popular player, and pointed out that only one of them won a World Cup (and it isn’t Ronaldo).
Others slammed Ronaldo for meeting with Trump at all, calling it “such a disappointment,” saying they had “lost all respect” for him and claiming that they “unfollowed CR7 so quick.”
“Shame on you,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “Cristiano Ronaldo is just embarrassing himself. Did he really think doing this will help him gain more supporters?”
“I highly respected you… not anymore,” said a third. “You should know better.”
Ronaldo was at the White House amid Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s controversial visit to Washington.
The Portuguese striker signed for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in 2023 as the league tossed out mega-money contracts in the country’s bid to boost tourism and its sports offering, but it has been slammed as “sportswashing.”
