Cristiano Ronaldo’s appearance on Tuesday at a massive meeting between President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman should annoy and worry Major League Soccer.
Getting North American sports fans interested in soccer has never been easy, but the league has made serious progress over the last decade. MLS has expanded all the way to 30 teams, and the average value of clubs is closing on a billion dollars.
A big reason for that is the recent TV deals the league has signed, as well as the addition of soccer legend Lionel Messi two years ago. There is hope that a change to the schedule to be more in line with the rest of the world will help improve rosters via the transfer system, and that the 2026 World Cup will bring more attention to the league and North American soccer.
However, getting some help from the government, if possible, certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing. Especially with an “America First” president currently in the White House. Furthermore, President Trump has had no problem pushing American products. But a big meeting on Tuesday could lead to him instead showing love for the Saudi Pro League.
On Tuesday, there is set to be a well-publicized and controversial meeting between President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. However, The Athletic also reports that Saudi Pro League star and soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo is also attending the get-together.
Sports celebrities being at the White House is nothing new, especially during the Trump regime. However, one of those athletes at a major summit that is supposed to include talks about the Abraham Accords and international relations is very odd. Even for a player in their top soccer league.
Should MLS be worried about Trump and Ronaldo meeting?
However, The Athletic mentions the conversations will also include “mutual investment between their two countries.” That should worry MLS. Obviously, a lot of the investment traffic will probably be from Saudi Arabia to the United States. However, the Saudi government has spent billions to improve its reputation with Westerners, especially sports fans, over the last five years.
It’s why they created LIV Golf and have created partnerships with major combat sports brands like UFC and WWE. Knowing how willing Trump is to do favors for friends, it is possible they could look to help create inroads for SPL in the US and encroach on MLS’s market. Is that a guarantee? Of course not. But Ronaldo’s appearance at today’s summit is very unusual. Either way, any favoritism to SPL over MLS isn’t good for America’s top league.
Furthermore, in advance of the meeting, the soccer icon has been complimentary of Trump and suggested the pair were the two most famous people in the world. “If the world is at peace, that’s our goal. He’s one of the people who can change or help change the world. And that’s my main objective: to meet Trump and talk about world peace,” he told Piers Morgan Uncensored earlier this month.
The idea of Ronaldo going to this meeting with a Saudi prince to talk about world peace is a bit laughable, and considering the history of all involved, it should worry MLS.
