Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo sparked a swift reaction on social media after his meeting with President Donald Trump.

Images shared on the White House and Ronaldo’s accounts of the couple strolling and smiling at each other sparked criticism.

The White House caption describing Trump and Ronaldo as “Two GOATS,” meaning “greatest of all time,” sparked a wave of trolling. Users responded 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’s not Ronaldo).

Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, right, listens Tuesday as President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner for Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC.
Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, right, listens Tuesday as President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner for Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC.

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Others criticized Ronaldo for meeting Trump, calling it “a huge disappointment”, saying they had “lost all respect” for him and claiming they “unfollowed CR7 so ​​quickly”.

“What a shame,” wrote one commenter. Another added: “Cristiano Ronaldo is just embarrassing himself. Did he really think doing this would help him gain more followers?”

“I respected you a lot… 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 Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League in 2023, when the league ruled out mega-monetary contracts in an attempt by the country to boost tourism and its sporting offer, but has been criticized as “sports washing”.

Trump also shared an AI-generated version of the meeting on his Truth Social platform.