Argentine superstar Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami CF teammates were honoured by US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to celebrate the club’s 2025 Major League Soccer Cup triumph.
Messi stood at the centre of the ceremony as Miami players, coach Javier Mascherano and team co-owner Jorge Mas joined Trump at the event. The president opened his remarks by referring briefly to military action in the Middle East before turning to the club’s achievements.
Trump also recalled Brazilian legend Pelé and his spell with the New York Cosmos in the 1970s, which he said helped spark interest in football in the United States.
“I shouldn’t say this because I’m old, but I watched Pelé play,” Trump said. “I don’t know, you may be better than Pelé. Pelé was pretty good.”
The players presented Trump with a pink No. 47 Inter Miami jersey, a nod to his position as the 47th US president.
Trump also praised Miami’s Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, rising Argentine talent Tadeo Allende and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, while making a subtle reference to former president Joe Biden.
“It’s my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before: Welcome to the White House, Lionel,” Trump said, an apparent reference to Messi’s absence when Biden awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2025.
“I’ve seen a lot of great players come into the world of sports,” Trump added. “Everything’s great, but they don’t win. This guy won,” he said, gesturing toward Messi.
Trump highlighted Miami’s 3–1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the MLS Cup final, as well as the club’s 2–1 win against Portuguese side FC Porto at the FIFA Club World Cup, the first time a North American club defeated a European team in official competition.
Accepting the congratulations, Mas said the club’s rapid rise since its inaugural 2020 season reflected a belief that “if you work hard and you sacrifice and you dream, it can be possible.”
Inter Miami’s global success, he added, was “not only because of Lionel Messi.”
“These men standing behind you have changed the culture of football in the United States forever,” Mas said. “We can play with the big boys.”
AFP
