Inter Miami attended a White House reception on Thursday to celebrate winning MLS Cup for the first time in club history, with captain Lionel Messi presenting a gift to President Donald Trump.
Messi entered the East Room alongside Trump and Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas and later handed the president a signature Miami pink soccer ball. Trump also received a Miami jersey and watch from Mas and head coach Javier Mascherano.
It was the first White House visit for Messi, who joined Miami in July 2023, and follows fellow soccer great — and longtime Messi rival — Cristiano Ronaldo attending a dinner there last November.
“We’re honoring truly talented people,” Trump said, while flanked by Messi and Mas with the rest of Miami’s squad behind him. “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.
“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.”
Following the reception, Trump invited the team to the Oval Office.
The event follows the long-standing tradition in American sport of commemorating a championship with a White House reception.
D.C. United stand as the first MLS team to attend the White House in 1998 following their Cup triumph, while the LA Galaxy visited on multiple occasions by winning in 2011, 2012 and 2014.
The visit marks Messi’s first time in the White House, though the player was first invited by the Joe Biden administration to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in early January 2025 but could not attend because of prior commitments.
“Messi communicated to the White House ahead of the event that he is deeply honored, and it is a profound privilege to receive this recognition,” Inter Miami said in a statement at the time. “However, due to a scheduling conflict and prior commitments, he was unable to attend. He appreciated the gesture and noted that he hopes to have the opportunity to meet in the near future.”
Miami lifted the 2025 MLS Cup on Dec. 6, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
It capped a swift rise for Inter Miami, who also count David Beckham as a co-owner, since starting play in 2020.
“This championship was very, very well deserved, greatly played, and you’re looking at one of the best teams on the face of the earth standing behind us,” Mas said. “And this all became possible because we dared to dream.”
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