WASHINGTON (AP) — lionel messi President Donald Trump was presented with a bejeweled pink soccer ball during a White House ceremony honoring Inter Miami, which won last year’s MLS Cup.
miami Defeat the Vancouver Whitecaps The Major League Soccer title game was held in December and the Argentine superstar was named. league MVP Two seasons in a row.
“Leo, you went out there and you won. It’s very difficult, it’s very unusual, and frankly, there’s more pressure on you than anyone realizes, because you had some expectation of winning, and almost no one wins,” Trump said.
Messi, who attended the ceremony with President Trump, joined Inter Miami in mid-2023 with great fanfare. He did not speak during the event, which at times became politically charged, with Trump mentioning the war with Iran, the situation in Venezuela, Cuba and possible future announcements on tariffs.
Unlike Messi, who is famous for avoiding talking about politics, the president focused exclusively on sports.
“You could have gone anywhere in the world. You could have chosen any team in the world. And you chose to go to Miami. I don’t blame you. The weather is very nice. Are you going to Doral? Are you going to Doral and play golf?” Trump said, referring to the golf course he owns. “I just want to thank you for taking us all on this journey, because you are such a passionate, talented, and amazing person.”
Among other Inter Miami stars in attendance were Luis Suarez, Taddeo Allende and Rodrygo de Paul. MLS Commissioner Don Garber sat next to Andrew Giuliani, the White House’s World Cup task force chief. Retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez and members of the Trump administration were also in attendance.
Inter Miami became the first MLS team to be invited to the White House during President Trump’s two terms.
Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, led Argentina to World Cup victory The 38-year-old is expected to play again for Argentina this summer in competitions hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
A global showcase of soccer clouded by recent eventsSuch as the war with Iran and the turmoil in Mexico following the death of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera in a military operation.
Iran is among the 48 teams participating in the World Cup and will play two group stage games at SoFi Stadium in Southern California and another in Seattle.
President Trump opened the ceremony with comments about the conflict with Iran, but did not mention the World Cup.
Following last week’s military action by the United States and Israel, Iranian soccer chief Mehdi Taj said Iran cannot aim to qualify for the World Cup with “hopes”.
President Trump told Politico this week that he “doesn’t care at all” if Iran joins. “I think Iran is a country that has suffered a very bad defeat. They are running on smoke.”
It is unclear what will happen if Iran withdraws from the World Cup. In the past 75 years, no team has ever qualified and withdrawn.
The World Cup begins on June 11th in Mexico City with Mexico vs. South Africa.
During the ceremony, President Trump talked about how he watched Brazilian great Pele play for the New York Cosmos. He turned to Messi and said, “You might be better than Pele,” then asked the crowd, “Who’s better?”
Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas said his team “changed the culture of soccer in the United States forever.”
“We can play with the big boys, we can play with the heavyweights. Our league can be one of the top leagues in the world,” Mas said. “And this ability to dream, to persevere, to have no obstacles in front of us is the secret to our continued success. And hopefully, Mr. President, this is not just our visit here to celebrate winning the MLS Cup.”
This was Messi’s first visit to the White House. He had been invited by the Biden administration to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2025, but was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.
Inter Miami will remain in the area to face DC United on Saturday.
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