The Inter Miami CF were welcomed to the White House on Thursday as part of the long-standing American sporting tradition of celebrating championship teams at the presidential residence. The reception marked the club’s first visit following their historic victory in the MLS Cup.

During the ceremony, team captain Lionel Messi presented Donald Trump with a signature pink Inter Miami soccer ball in the East Room. The president was also given a team jersey and a watch by club co-owner Jorge Mas and head coach Javier Mascherano.

Messi, who joined Inter Miami in July 2023, made his first visit to the White House for the occasion. The event comes months after his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo attended a dinner there in November.

Standing beside Messi and Mas, Trump praised the Argentine star and the club’s achievement.
“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,’” Trump said.

The president also shared a personal anecdote, saying his son had informed him Messi would attend the event and described himself as a big admirer of the football icon. Trump went on to compare Messi with Brazilian legend Pelé, telling the crowd the Inter Miami captain “may be better than Pelé.”

Inter Miami secured their first MLS Cup title on December 6, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3–1 in Fort Lauderdale. Messi was later named the league’s Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season in Major League Soccer.

Several players from the title-winning squad attended the reception, including Luis Suárez, Tadeo Allende, and Rodrigo De Paul. Among other guests were MLS commissioner Don Garber, White House World Cup task force head Andrew Giuliani, and former baseball star Alex Rodriguez.

Following the ceremony, Trump invited members of the team into the Oval Office.

Argentinian star Lionel Messi presents a gift to U.S. President Donald Trump during an event for Inter Miami at the White House. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images
The White House reception continues a long-standing tradition of honouring championship teams. The D.C. United became the first MLS side to visit the White House after winning the league title in 1998, while the LA Galaxy attended multiple times after championship victories in 2011, 2012 and 2014.

Speaking during the event, Jorge Mas credited the club’s rapid rise since entering MLS in 2020 with transforming the sport’s profile in the United States. Inter Miami’s ownership group also includes former England star David Beckham.

“This championship was very well deserved,” Mas said. “We dared to dream — and hopefully this is not our only visit here celebrating an MLS Cup championship.”