Gift Donald Trump gave to Cristiano Ronaldo at White House usually saved for most special guests

Cristiano Ronaldo was a special visitor at the White House this week and he got his hands on a very special gift from Donald Trump.

The legendary footballer was invited to the US, in what was his first visit since 2016, as part of the dinner with Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

After being spotted with some of the most powerful men on the planet, the Al-Nassr forward clearly stuck around to speak with the president further, perhaps to give him some footballing tips as the US prepares to host the 2026 World Cup.

There's no doubt that US president splits opinion among the general public but Ronaldo certainly seems to be a fan, after he suggested in an interview with Piers Morgan that: "Donald Trump is one of the guys that can help to change the world.”

And Trump returned the compliment on Tuesday night, saying: "This room is loaded up with the biggest leaders in the world - business, sports. My son is a big fan of Ronaldo... Barron got to meet him and I think he respects his father a little bit more now - just the fact that I introduced you."

Ronaldo was a surprise guest at the dinner earlier this week (Anna Rose Layden/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Ronaldo and his fiancée Georgina stuck around after the party for a more formal meeting in the Oval Office, and it was there where the 79-year-old handed over a gift that has only previously been presented to Benjamin Netanyahu, former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Elon Musk, which sees Ronaldo join an illustrious and undoubtedly controversial group.

All these men were presented with a golden key to the White House, something Trump allegedly designed himself, which makes it a rare and significant honour for the former Manchester United striker.

In another fanboy moment, the president even shared an AI generated video of him and Ronaldo playing some football (no I won't call it soccer) together, where the 79-year-old shows off a quite incredible ability to juggle and dribble the ball without even touching it, something even the best player in history Lionel Messi cannot manage.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Trump start the USA's opening fixture at the World Cup next summer, especially as he's already shown a willingness to win medals after nicking one from the Club World Cup earlier this year.

Trump also showed off some of his toys to his new bestie, including a model of a B-2 stealth bomber, which was used to bomb Iran earlier this year.

Incidentally, the bombing of Iran was something Trump discussed the last time he hosted footballers in the Oval Office, with the Juventus squad left very confused by their visit to meet the president in the summer.