Cristiano Ronaldo has urged Donald Trump to help broker peace, by writing the message on a Portugal shirt gifted to the US president.
At the G7 summit in Canada’s Kananaskis (prior to Trump storming out), the head of the European Council, Antonio Costa (who is Portuguese), handed him the shirt.
Trump then posed for pictures alongside Costa while holding the jersey.
Ronaldo had written the message: ‘Playing for peace’. And in his post on X about the gift, Costa wrote: ‘To President Donald Trump. Playing for peace. As a team.’
The 40-year-old striker, who recently helped Portugal to glory in the Nations League, is currently enjoying the offseason.
But evidently he took time out to sign the shirt presented to Trump, delivering a message during a hugely concerning time in terms of global insecurity.
Donald Trump held up a shirt with a message for peace on it signed by Cristiano Ronaldo
The US president was handed the shirt by the Portuguese president of the European Commission, Antonio Costa
It is not clear whether Ronaldo wrote the message himself or simply added a signature
It is unclear whether Ronaldo was referring to the Israel-Iran war or ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict – or if his message was simply a more general one.
Trump, posting on his Truth Social site, recently wrote: ‘We will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place.’
As he landed in Canada for the G7 summit he told reporters he wants an end to the conflict between Israel and Iran.
‘I’m not looking for a ceasefire, we’re looking at better than a ceasefire’, he said.
But then Trump last night refused to sign a joint statement with fellow G7 leaders calling for de-escalation in the conflict before storming out of the summit, saying he had to get back to Washington early ‘for obvious reasons’.
‘The Israelis aren’t slowing up their barrage on Iran… You’re going to find out over the next two days. You’re going to find out. Nobody’s slowed up so far,’ he later added on Air Force One.
The 78-year-old also posted on Truth Social: ‘Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life.
Iran and Israel are currently escalating their war with missiles landing on both sides
Ronaldo, pictured with the Nations League trophy, wrote the message amid raging conflict between Iran and Israel
Smoke and fire rise from the site of a missile attack from Iran in Israel on Sunday
‘Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!’
The Israeli military had earlier urged residents of one district of Tehran to evacuate.
Meanwhile Israeli media reported that the US is preparing to join an attack on Iran ‘if President Donald Trump gives the green light.’
An unidentified official told i24 News that ‘US Central Command thinks it should join, but there are senior officials in the administration who are currently opposing the move.’
Trump has insisted that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons, with the conflict escalating
Washington is seemingly gearing up for confrontation in the Middle East, with a carrier strike group and three destroyers in the Arabian Sea and the USS Nimitz expected to arrive in the region in the coming days.
The war between the arch foes enters its fifth day and Israel ramps up attacks aimed at destroying Iran’s contested nuclear work.
Earlier this morning, Israel announced that it had assassinated Iran’s wartime chief of staff, the closest official to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, just days after his predecessor was killed in strikes.