United States President Donald Trump on Thursday welcomed football icon Lionel Messi and members of Inter Miami CF to the White House to celebrate the club’s triumph in the 2025 MLS Cup.
Messi led his teammates, alongside head coach Javier Mascherano and club co-owner Jorge Mas, during the ceremony held at the White House.
Trump congratulated the team for their remarkable season and praised Messi’s influence on football in the United States. Reflecting on legendary Brazilian footballer Pelé, who helped popularise the sport in the country during his time with the New York Cosmos in the 1970s, Trump suggested Messi’s impact might rival the Brazilian great.
“I shouldn’t say this because I’m old, but I watched Pelé play,” Trump said during the event. “I don’t know, you may be better than Pelé. Pelé was pretty good.”
The players presented Trump with a customised Inter Miami jersey bearing the number 47, referencing his position as the 47th president of the United States.
Trump also commended several members of the squad, including Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, midfielder Rodrigo De Paul and rising talent Tadeo Allende, highlighting their contributions to the club’s success.
Inter Miami secured the 2025 MLS Cup title after defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3–1 in the final. The team also made headlines earlier in the year after defeating Portuguese giants FC Porto 2–1 in the FIFA Club World Cup, marking the first time a North American team defeated a European club in an official international competition.
Speaking during the ceremony, Jorge Mas credited the club’s success to hard work, ambition and belief.
“Inter Miami’s global success is not only because of Lionel Messi, but because of the players standing here today who have helped change the culture of football in the United States,” Mas said.
Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami in 2023 transformed the club into one of the most globally recognised teams in Major League Soccer, drawing massive crowds, boosting television viewership and significantly raising the league’s international profile.
AFP