On March 5th local time, the entire Inter Miami FC team was invited to the White House to celebrate the club's first-ever MLS title.
Team captain Lionel Messi presented a gift to US President Donald Trump during the event. In his speech, Trump stated that both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are great players. Furthermore, Trump mentioned that he had watched Pelé play for the New York Cosmos in person and personally believed that Messi might have surpassed Pelé.
This is Messi's first visit to the White House. The Argentine star joined Inter Miami in July 2023. Last November, another football superstar and Messi's long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, also attended a dinner at the White House.
At the event, Trump said, "Today we are honoring truly talented people. It is a very special honor for me to say this—Welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi. This is something no previous president of the United States has ever had the opportunity to say."
Trump also shared a conversation with his son: "My son asked me, 'Dad, do you know who's coming today?' I said no, I have a lot of things to do today. He said, 'Messi.'"
"He (Trump's son) is a huge fan of yours. He thinks you are not only a great player, but also a great person. I think you just met. He loves football and is a big fan of yours. And of course, there's another guy named Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo is great, and you are great too."
During Thursday's ceremony, Trump also mentioned watching Brazilian football legend Pelé play for the New York Cosmos. He then looked at Messi and said, "I think you might be better than Pelé," before asking the audience, "Who's better?"