Lionel Messi received rare praise from Donald Trump during a White House ceremony honoring Inter Miami CF for winning the 2025 Major League Soccer championship, with the president telling the crowd that the Argentine star “may be better” than Brazilian legend Pelé.
The event celebrated Inter Miami’s MLS Cup victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in December. Messi, who was named the league’s MVP for the second consecutive season, entered the ceremony alongside Trump and presented the president with a bejeweled pink soccer ball.
Trump used part of his remarks to highlight the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s impact since joining Inter Miami in 2023. “Leo, you came in, and you won, and that’s something very hard to do, very, very unusual, and frankly, there’s a lot more pressure put on you than anyone would know, because you sort of expected to win, but almost nobody wins,” Trump said.
Later in the ceremony, the president compared Messi to Pelé while recalling watching the Brazilian icon during his time with the New York Cosmos. “You may be better than Pele,” Trump said before asking the audience, “Who’s better?”
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However, Messi did not speak during the ceremony. The Argentine forward, who led the Argentina national football team to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has historically avoided commenting on controversial topics and so remained focused on the celebration of Inter Miami’s championship season.
White House Event Celebrates Inter Miami’s MLS Title
Several Inter Miami players attended the ceremony, including Luis Suárez, Tadeo Allende, and Rodrigo De Paul.
Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer, sat near Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House task force for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez and several members of Trump’s cabinet also attended.
Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas said the club’s championship run had reshaped the sport’s trajectory in the United States.
“We can play with the big boys, we can play with the heavyweights. Our league can be one of the top leagues in the world,” Mas said.
He added, “And it is this ability to dream, to persevere, to have no obstacles ahead of us, that we will continue to be successful. And hopefully, Mr. President, this is not our only visit here celebrating an MLS Cup championship.”
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Inter Miami became the first MLS club invited to the White House during Trump’s two terms. Messi previously received an invitation from the Biden administration to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2025 but missed the ceremony due to a scheduling conflict.
