Lionel Messi attended an honoring ceremony at the White House and presented a special gift to Mr. Trump.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami visited the White House for a celebration of their 2025 MLS Cup victory, with the Argentinian superstar presenting a gift to President Donald Trump during the reception.
On March 5th, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami attended a reception at the White House to celebrate the team’s first-ever MLS Cup victory. At the event, captain Messi presented a commemorative gift to US President Donald Trump.
Messi entered the East Room with Mr. Trump and Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas. The Argentinian superstar then presented the president with a pink football – the team’s signature color. In addition, Mr. Trump received a team jersey and a watch from the club from Jorge Mas and head coach Javier Mascherano.
“We are honoring truly talented people. I am honored to say something no US president has ever had the chance to say: ‘Welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi,’” Mr. Trump stated at the ceremony.
President Donald Trump speaks at the awards ceremony. (Source: The Athletic)
Mr. Trump also recounted that his son, Barron Trump, is a fan of Messi: “My son asked, ‘Dad, do you know who’s coming today?’ I said, ‘No, I’m very busy.’ He replied, ‘Messi.’ He’s a huge fan of yours. And I think you’ve met someone he’s a fan of, Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is fantastic, and so are you.”
Inter Miami won the 2025 MLS Cup after defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final on December 6th in Fort Lauderdale. Messi was named MVP for the second consecutive season.
“Leo, you went in and immediately won, which is very rare. Honestly, you were under much more pressure than anyone imagined, because everyone expected you to win,” Mr. Trump said.
Captain Messi presented Mr. Trump with a ball bearing the distinctive colors of Inter Miami. (Source: The Athletic)
This was Messi’s first visit to the White House since joining Inter Miami in July 2023. The visit came just months after his longtime rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, also attended a dinner there last November.
In fact, Messi had been invited to a White House event before. In January 2025, the Argentine forward was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom – America’s highest civilian honor. At the time, Messi said he was “very honored” and considered the award a “great privilege.” However, due to prior commitments, the Inter Miami captain was ultimately unable to attend the award ceremony.
The ceremony was also attended by many Inter Miami stars such as Luis Suárez, Tadeo Allende, and Rodrigo De Paul, along with MLS Commissioner Don Garber and several other guests.
Following the reception, the US President invited the entire Inter Miami team to visit the Oval Office.
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Lionel Messi and Inter Miami visited the White House for a celebration of their 2025 MLS Cup victory, with the Argentinian superstar presenting a gift to President…