Viral Claims and AI Videos Spread After Ronaldo’s Visit to the White House

After Cristiano Ronaldo’s visit to the White House, many claims and AI videos went viral on social media.

On November 18, Ronaldo attended a black-tie dinner alongside Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

Following the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, Ronaldo signed with Al Nassr, a Saudi Pro League team.

Misbar’s team has detected and investigated viral claims that have gone viral on social media before and after Ronaldo’s visit to the White House. 

Could Ronaldo Enter the United States? 

Social media users have circulated a claim alleging that if Ronaldo entered the United States, he would have been arrested by the American authorities. 

The claim spread because of a legal case from 2009 in which Ronaldo faced allegations of rape. In September 2018, Kathryn Mayorga filed a civil lawsuit alleging that Ronaldo had paid her $375,000 in hush money after raping her in a penthouse suite of a Las Vegas hotel in 2009.

But in 2019 the charges were dropped, and in 2022 the lawsuit was dismissed, allowing him to return to the states. 

"Based upon a review of the information presented at this time, the allegations of sexual assault against Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, no charges will be forthcoming," Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said in a statement.

On November 19, the White House published a video of Trump and Ronaldo walking  and laughing. 

Did Trump and bin Salman Say Ronaldo is the GOAT?

Another widely circulated claim purports that both U.S. President Donald Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince concur that Cristiano Ronaldo is the "Greatest Of All Time," or GOAT.  The claim was occasionally shared with a screenshot from Fox News. 

Misbar examined Trump's speech during his meeting with Ronaldo and found no evidence of him saying the widely shared statement, "Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest of all time."

Prior to the event, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that it was an "honor" to host Ronaldo, who has become a symbol of the nation's modernization efforts due to his prominent role in the Saudi football league.

The team investigated the viral photo and found that it was altered; Fox News Never reported that. 

False Claim About Ronaldo Receiving the Key to Washington, D.C.

Another widely shared claim alleged that Ronaldo received the "key to Washington, DC."

Ronaldo was given a ceremonial “key to the White House” from Trump, not an official key from D.C. authorities.

Ronaldo, the first athlete to receive the gift, held the key as he and Rodriguez posed for a photograph with Trump at his desk.

An official confirmed to the Daily Mail that the key was to the White House.

Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, revealed Trump's thoughts on designing the key in his 2022 memoir.

"Trump whipped out his signature gift when he met with Bibi—an oversized bronze ‘key to the White House’ in a wooden box carved with the presidential seal," according to Kushner's book "Breaking History," 

Video of Trump Playing Football With Ronaldo is AI-Generated 

Another video circulating during the visit is that Trump released a video of his meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo in the Oval Office at the White House, which shows them playing football.

Pages on social media have published the video as if it is real. 

Trump published the AI-Video on his Truth Social account.

Ronaldo And The World Cup 

Ronaldo has served as the Saudi league's spokesperson and appeared in advertisements for the Saudi Tourism Authority since he signed with the Saudi club. 

According to Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Middle East fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, "President Trump is keenly aware of the symbolism of hosting the World Cup during the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and as we saw at the Club World Cup he seeks to closely associate himself with the glitz and glamor of the tournament," he told DW.

Two years ago, FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, created a fast-track bidding procedure that helped guarantee there was no competing bid, and Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup.

When the Saudi victory was announced in December of last year, Ronaldo endorsed that bid, stating, "after what I see, I'm more convinced that 2034 will be the best World Cup ever."

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