Fact Check: Did Trump and Cristiano Ronaldo play football in the Oval Office?
WASHINGTON, DC: A video circulating on social media appears to show Donald Trump and Cristiano Ronaldo playing football inside the Oval Office.
The clip shows the pair heading, passing and kicking a ball in an unusually staged moment said to have taken place during a White House dinner.
Claim: Trump and Cristiano Ronaldo played football together inside White House
The viral clip features what looks like President Donald Trump and Cristiano Ronaldo engaging in a playful football exchange directly in the Oval Office.
In the video, a ball drops from the ceiling, and both men appear to head it back and forth before Trump spins dramatically on his heels, kicks the ball toward the camera, and grins triumphantly.
The video began circulating shortly after Trump hosted a high-profile White House dinner attended by global business leaders, political figures and sporting icons on Tuesday, November 18.
Ronaldo was among the most notable attendees, arriving alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of a diplomatic visit focusing on cultural and economic ties between Washington and Riyadh.
Because Ronaldo was confirmed to be present at the White House that evening, many users assumed the football moment captured in the video was authentic.
The clip spread rapidly across social platforms, especially after Trump posted it on Truth Social with no accompanying clarification, prompting further speculation about whether the two men actually kicked a ball around inside the Oval Office.
Fact Check: Video is AI-generated and does not show a real football moment
The video is not real. The clip shared by Donald Trump is AI-generated, combining deep-learning facial models, synthetic character animation and digitally fabricated motion to create the illusion of a real interaction between Trump and Ronaldo.
There is no evidence that Trump and Ronaldo played football inside the Oval Office during the November 19 event or at any other time. No journalists present at the dinner reported such an activity, and official White House press images do not show any sports interaction or props in the Oval Office that night.
The actions depicted in the video including the ball descending from the ceiling, the exaggerated heel-spin, and the smooth AI-like head movements further confirm the digital origin of the footage.
Trump has frequently posted stylized or satirical AI-generated videos during his previous campaigns and public appearances, often using them as humorous or dramatic embellishments rather than factual documentation.
Ronaldo’s visit to the White House and the high-profile dinner
Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence at the White House on November 18 was genuine. He attended the formal dinner as part of the Saudi delegation led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. His role as a global sporting ambassador for the Kingdom made his attendance a symbolic point in broader diplomatic discussions.
During the event, Trump highlighted Ronaldo’s global influence and shared a lighthearted anecdote about his son:
“You know my son is a big fan of Cristiano Ronaldo,” Trump said, drawing laughter.
“Barron got to meet him and I think he respects his father a little bit more now.”
Ronaldo’s appearance added a rare sporting dimension to the otherwise political and diplomatic evening, which also included guests such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
