WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump hosted soccer superstar Lionel Messi and the Inter Miami team at the White House Thursday, honoring the 2025 Major League Soccer Cup champions in a ceremony that mixed sports celebration with military updates.
In a surprising admission, Trump revealed he was unaware that one of soccer’s biggest names was visiting until his son brought it to his attention.
During the East Room ceremony, Trump discussed ongoing U.S. military operations in Iran before shifting focus to the championship team.
“The United States military, together with the wonderful Israeli partners, continues to totally demolish the enemy, far ahead of schedule and at levels that people have never seen before,” Trump stated while the Argentine soccer legend stood beside him.
The president then addressed what he termed “soccer-slash-football,” acknowledging both American and international terminology for the sport.
“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,” Trump declared.
Trump explained that Messi’s appearance caught him off guard due to his administration’s focus on the Iran situation since Saturday, only learning about Thursday’s scheduled event when his son mentioned it.
“I got a lot of things going on,” Trump remarked.
With the World Cup approaching on American soil, Trump offered praise for Miami’s coach Javier Mascherano and other soccer legends including Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazilian icon Pele, while expressing particular enthusiasm for Messi and the Florida-based squad.
“Leo is the reigning FIFA World Cup MVP. You could have gone anywhere in the world. You could have chosen any team in the world, and you chose to go to Miami. I don’t blame you. The weather’s extremely good,” Trump commented.
While describing the team’s championship victory to the gathered audience, Trump made repeated comments about the “good-looking” players standing behind him.
Looking over the roster, Trump highlighted Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul and inquired, “Do you have any bad looking players?”
“I don’t like good looking men,” Trump jested, “You don’t feel so good about yourself.”
The team gifted Trump a jersey bearing number 47, representing his status as the 47th president, along with a soccer ball and timepiece featuring the team’s distinctive pink branding.
Trump also referenced upcoming summer events, stating, “We have the World Cup and the Olympics.” The World Cup, jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States across 16 cities, is scheduled from June 11 to July 19 and will mark the first tournament to include 48 competing nations.
Argentina enters as the current World Cup and Copa America titleholders.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient Messi had previously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic predecessor, in January 2025, though Messi was unable to attend that ceremony due to scheduling conflicts.
Returning to political topics, Trump praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s management of the Iran operation and suggested that once that conflict concludes, the United States could shift attention to communist Cuba.
Cuba wants “to make a deal so badly,” Trump asserted.
