Lionel Messi 'slammed' for not attending Joe Biden's Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony

The Argentine star joined MLS in 2023

Lionel Messi has come under fire for turning down Joe Biden’s invitation to visit the White House to get his Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In addition to receiving America’s highest civilian honour on Saturday, the Inter Miami skipper received an invitation to meet the departing US president in Washington, DC. Alexi Lalas, a former star of the United States men’s national team, is upset that the 37-year-old was unable to attend the ceremony.

Messi should have “found a way” to make the event, he added, but he questioned the “strange” choice to give the Argentine the honour in the first place.

When asked if Messi’s choice to “skip” the ceremony was “wrong” on X, Lalas responded as follows:

“Yes. It was ridiculous and strange to award it to Messi. But if you’re going to accept the honour, then find a way to be in DC.”

It was later revealed that Messi’s “scheduling error” prevented him from attending the celebration, making him one of the rare awardees to do so. According to reports, Messi’s name was completely omitted by the announcer when the 2025 medal winners were announced, and no one showed up to take the trophy on his behalf. Biden’s entourage might not have been pleased with this.

Lionel Messi reveals why he couldn’t attend the event

However, later on Saturday, Messi’s team issued a statement explaining why.

“The White House informed FIFA, which informed the club at the end of December that Leo was to be awarded this recognition.Leo, through the club, sent a letter to the White House saying that he feels deeply honored and that it is a great privilege to receive this recognition but that due to scheduling conflicts and prior commitments he will not be able to attend. He thanked the gesture and noted that he hopes to have the opportunity to meet with him in the near future.”

Although Messi is now enjoying his off-season vacation, he will probably play in Miami’s quickly approaching preseason games in the weeks ahead.

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