Lionel Messi presented US President Donald Trump with a decorated ball during a ceremony held at the White House in honor of Inter Miami, the team's triumph in MLS last season.
Inter Miami defeated Vancouver in December to win the MLS title. The Argentine superstar was the MVP for the second consecutive season.
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support Contribute"Leo, you came and you won, and that's a very difficult thing to do. It's very, very unusual and frankly there's a lot more pressure on you than anyone would know, because you were expecting to win, but almost nobody wins," Trump said during the reception.
Messi entered the ceremony alongside Trump. He joined Inter Miami in 2023 to great fanfare.
The Argentine did not speak during the event, which became political at times. Trump spoke about the war with Iran, the situation in Venezuela, a possible announcement on Cuba and even tariffs.
Addressing Messi, who avoids political speeches, President Trump focused mainly on sports.
"You could have gone anywhere in the world. You could have picked any team in the world and you picked Miami. I don't blame you. The weather is amazing. Do you go to Doral? Do you go to Doral and play golf?" Trump said, referring to a golf course he owns.
"I just want to thank you for bringing us all on this journey, because you are attractive and talented. You are a great person," Trump continued to address the soccer star.
Among those who visited the White House were Luis Suarez, Tadeo Allende and Rodrigo De Paul.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber sat next to Andrew Giuliani, the head of the White House World Cup Task Force. Also in attendance were retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez and members of Trump's cabinet.
Inter Miami is the first MLS team invited to the White House during Trump's two terms in office.
Messi is an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and has led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup.
The 38-year-old is expected to play for Argentina again this summer, when the World Cup is hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Trump opened the meeting with comments about the conflict with Iran, but did not mention the World Cup, which has been overshadowed by recent developments.
During the ceremony, Trump recounted how he saw Brazilian legend Pele playing for the New York Cosmos. He turned to Messi and said, "You could be better than Pele," then asked the others, "Who's better?"
For Messi it was his first visit to the White House.