Donald Trump Praises Messi's Champion Mentality: You Come and Win!

US President Donald Trump formally welcomed football star Lionel Messi and Inter Miami to the White House on Thursday (local time) in honour of The Herons’ triumph in clinching the MLS Cup 2025. In his address, Trump lavished praise on the Argentina captain and even compared Messi with Brazilian legend Pele, whom he said he watched live in the 1970s when he was with the New York Cosmos. ‘I shouldn’t say this because I’m old, but I once saw Pele play. I don’t know, you (Messi) might be better than Pele. Pele was great,’ Trump said, as quoted by AFP. Not only about football, Trump used the occasion to offer a subtle dig at his predecessor, Joe Biden. He referred to the January 2025 moment when Messi was not present as Biden prepared to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ‘It is a privilege for me to say what no American president before has had the opportunity to say: Welcome to the White House, Lionel,’ Trump stated. As a gesture of appreciation, Inter Miami players presented pink jerseys bearing their iconic number 47. The number signifies Trump’s status as the 47th President of the United States. In addition to Messi, Trump also welcomed other key Inter Miami figures such as Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul, and budding talent Tadeo Allende. He commended the mental burden borne by Messi while noting that he could still deliver peak results. ‘Leo, you come and you win. There is more pressure placed on you than anyone knows because you are expected to win,’ he added. In response to the president’s accolades, club owner Jorge Mas stressed that Miami’s revival since their debut season in 2020 is the result of collective hard work and that the cultural shift in American football has been achieved thanks to the whole team, not just Messi. ‘Not only because of Lionel Messi, but the men standing behind him have changed the culture of football in the United States forever. We can play with the big teams,’ Mas asserted.