Football star Lionel Messi and Inter Miami club met with US President Donald Trump at the White House to celebrate their MLS Cup victory.
Redaksiya reports that during the meeting, Trump raised the question of who is better between Messi and legendary Brazilian footballer Pelé.
During the visit, which took place on March 6, 2026, US President Donald Trump received the Inter Miami team and met with the players as well as the technical staff. In his speech, Trump presented the current World Cup's best player with an autographed ball, saying, "I have the privilege of saying something no president has said before: Welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi."
Although there were questions prior to the visit about whether Messi, considered one of the world's most popular athletes, would attend, CNN confirmed his participation. Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas spoke about the team's journey to their first championship and presented Trump with a jersey, ball, and watch.
Trump, asking who was the better player between Messi and Pelé, remarked, "I think it's him," gesturing towards Messi. During his speech, the US President reiterated his unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 presidential election being rigged and spoke about a potential US intervention in Cuba.
According to CNN, Inter Miami's other co-owner, David Beckham, did not attend the White House as he was in Europe with his wife Victoria to attend a fashion show.
Lionel Messi had never been to the White House before. Although former US President Joe Biden presented the Argentine star with the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year, Messi was unable to attend the ceremony due to a scheduling conflict. Messi ranks among the highest-earning footballers and athletes in the world. In Forbes magazine's 2025 list of the world's highest-earning footballers, Messi ranked second with an income of $130 million, behind Ronaldo who earned $280 million. He also ranked as the fifth highest-earning athlete in the world in 2025.