If Cristiano Ronaldo ran for president against you, he might win.
In June 2018, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa visited the White House. During a conversation with Donald
realDonaldTrump
, they discussed Ronaldo, then dominating World Cup headlines.
Rebelo de Sousa called him the world’s best player.
Trump agreed he was a “very good player,” asked how he was doing, then joked about a presidential run: “He wouldn’t win! You know he won’t.”
Smiling, Rebelo de Sousa replied, “Mr. President, you know Portugal is not the United States.
It’s a little bit different!” His polite response noted that Portugal’s political system and voters differ from the U.S. celebrity-to-politics dynamic, despite Cristiano iconic status.
