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Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates were feted by U.S. President Donald Trump astatine the White House connected Thursday (March 5, 2026) successful honour of their 2025 MLS Cup championship.
Messi was astatine the forefront arsenic Miami players, manager Javier Mascherano, and squad co-owner Jorge Mas flanked Trump, who opened proceedings with comments connected subject enactment successful the West Asia.
But helium soon got down to the team's 2025 exploits and rememiniscences of Brazilian icon Pele's 1970s stint with the New York Cosmos and its electrifying effect connected shot successful the United States.
"I shouldn't accidental this due to the fact that I'm old, but I watched Pele play," Trump said. "I don't know, you (Messi) whitethorn beryllium amended than Pele. Pele was beauteous good."
The players came bearing gifts for Mr. Trump, including a No. 47 jersey from the team's signature pinkish kit, reflecting his presumption arsenic the nation's 47th President.
From Mr. Trump determination were shout-outs to Miami's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, rising prima Tadeo Allende, and Rodrigo De Paul -- and a subtle excavation astatine erstwhile president Joe Biden.
"It's my chiseled privilege to accidental what nary American president has ever had the accidental to accidental before: Welcome to the White House, Lionel," Trump said, an oblique notation to the information Messi did not be the ceremonial erstwhile Biden awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom successful January 2025.
"I've seen a batch of large players travel into the satellite of sports," Mr. Trump said. "They travel to the Yankees, oregon they travel to the Dodgers... and there's specified a clamor.
"Everything's great, but they don't win. This feline won," helium said with a motion toward Messi.
"Leo, you came in, and you won. There's a batch much unit enactment connected you than anyone would cognize due to the fact that you're benignant of expected to win," Mr. Trump added.
Mr. Trump's rundown of Miami's 2025 achievements included not lone their 3-1 triumph implicit Vancouver Whitecaps successful the MLS Cup last but besides their 2-1 triumph implicit Portuguese broadside Porto successful the Club World Cup, which marked the archetypal clip a North American squad bushed a European 1 successful authoritative competition.
In accepting Trump's congratulations, Mas — the lad of Cuban immigrants — said Miami's emergence since its 2020 inaugural play was based connected the doctrine that "if you enactment hard and you sacrifice and you dream, it tin beryllium possible."
Inter Miami's planetary occurrence is "not lone due to the fact that of Lionel Messi, but these men lasting down you person changed the civilization of shot successful the United States of America forever," Mas said. "We tin play with the large boys."
