Visiting the White House, Lionel Messi Responds as Donald Trump Compares Himself to Pelé

World football star Lionel Messi recently undertook a special visit to the White House, United States, on Thursday (5/3/2026). The attendance of the player nicknamed La Pulga was done together with the entire Inter Miami squad as part of a series of ceremonies celebrating their success in winning the MLS Cup 2025 trophy. The Florida-based team was welcomed directly by President Donald Trump in a warm atmosphere. At the official event, Lionel Messi became the center of attention, particularly when the president began delivering quips in front of invited guests. Trump teased the attendees by comparing two icons in football history: the Argentine superstar Messi and Brazilian legend Pelé. As is known, both players have incredible World Cup legacies. Pelé is recorded as the only player with three gold trophies, while Messi led his country to the World Cup title in the 2022 edition. “Who is better, Messi or Pelé?” Trump asked. Hearing the question, a spontaneous majority of the room shouted Messi’s name. Responding to the cheers, the Argentina captain simply gave a shy smile at the podium. Lionel Messi was the intellectual architect behind Inter Miami’s success in silencing Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final. On an individual level, he set a record as the only player to win the MLS Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for two consecutive seasons with 29 goals and 19 assists in the regular season. Since joining Beckham’s club in 2023, his productivity has been fantastically high. He is recorded to have 79 goals and 44 assists from 90 appearances in various official competitions. This achievement also proves that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s quality has not faded even though he is now playing outside Europe. They had suffered a heavy 0-3 defeat to Los Angeles FC in the opening match, before eventually bouncing back with a 4-2 victory over Orlando in the second game.