WATCH: Lionel Messi meets US President Donald Trump during Inter Miami’s White House visit
(Courtesy : The White House/X)
Messi and Co. were invited to celebrate Miami’s MLS win at White House.
On December 6, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in Fort Lauderdale to win the 2025 MLS Cup. The Argentine star was crowned the league’s MVP for the second straight year.
To celebrate their win, the whole squad was invited to the White House by the US President, continuing the tradition from previous years.
Lionel Messi, the skipper of Inter Miami, gave President Donald Trump a gift at a White House event on Thursday to commemorate the team’s first-ever MLS Cup victory.
Along with Trump and Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas, Messi went into the East Room and gave the president an Inter Miami jersey and a pink football. Mas and manager Javier Mascherano also gave Trump a Miami jersey and a watch.
Donald Trump welcomes Lionel Messi to White House
Lionel Messi, who joined Miami in July 2023, has now made his first visit to the White House. Last November, fellow soccer legend and longtime rival of Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, also attended a dinner there.
Talking about Messi, Donald Trump said:
“We’re honoring truly talented people. 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 Messi.’Donald Trump
“My son said, ‘Dad, do you know who’s going to be there today?’ I said, ‘No, I got a lot of things going on.’ He said, ‘Messi.’
“He’s a big fan of yours. He thinks you’re just a great person. And I think you got to meet a little while ago. So he’s a big soccer fan, but he’s a tremendous fan of yours. And a gentleman named Ronaldo. Cristiano is great. You’re great.”
Rodrigo De Paul, Tadeo Allende, and Luis Suárez were some of the other Inter Miami players there. Andrew Giuliani, the leader of the White House’s World Cup work committee, was seated next to MLS commissioner Don Garber. Members of Trump’s cabinet and former baseball player Alex Rodriguez were also present.
Trump welcomed the crew to the Oval Office after the reception. The occasion adheres to the long-standing custom in American sports of celebrating a victory with a celebration at the White House.
Why did Messi visit White House?
MLS Cup winners are invited to White House, a long-standing tradition in American Sports.
Has Messi won the MLS Cup ever?
Yes, he won the trophy on 6th December 2025.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.
After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.