Lionel Messi meets Donald Trump as Inter Miami visits the White House

Lionel Messi presented President Donald Trump with a bejeweled pink football – indicative of Inter Miami’s color – during a White House ceremony honoring the club for winning last year’s Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup.

Miami defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps for the Major League Soccer title in December, and the Argentine superstar was named the league’s MVP for the second consecutive season.

“Leo, you came in and you won, and that’s a very difficult thing to do, very, very unusual, and honestly there’s a lot more pressure on you than anyone would know because you kind of expected to win, but almost no one wins,” Trump said.

Messi, who attended the ceremony with Trump, joined Inter Miami to much fanfare in mid-2023. He did not speak during the event, which at times turned political as Trump discussed the war with Iran, the situation in Venezuela, a possible future announcement on Cuba and even tariffs.

In his speech to Messi – who does not speak about politics – the president mainly focused 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,» Trump said.

Among the other Inter Miami stars in attendance were Luis Suárez, Tadeo Allende and Rodrigo De Paul. MLS commissioner Don Garber sat next to Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House World Cup task force. Also in attendance were retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez and members of Trump’s Cabinet.

Inter Miami was the first MLS team to be invited to the White House during Trump’s two terms in office.

Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, led Argentina to the World Cup title in 2022.

The 38-year-old is expected to play for Argentina again this summer when the tournament is hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Published on March 6, 2026