SerpApi.Org
U.S. President Donald Trump made sure to let Lionel Messi know just how big a fan his son, Barron Trump, is of him when attending a White House ceremony earlier this year.
Back in March, Messi made his first visit to the White House alongside his Inter Miami teammates to celebrate their MLS Cup victory, which they won 3-1 against Vancouver Whitecaps in the final on December 6, 2025.
It followed fellow soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo's trip to the White House just a few months earlier, when the Portuguese star was in attendance at a black-tie state dinner to welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington. It comes after Eric Trump revealed the 7 words that Barron whispered into Joe Biden's ear.
• John Daly pays tribute to Rory McIlroy after being 'absolutely destroyed' by US fans
• Bob MacIntyre rant caught on mic as Scotsman laments The Open Championship hole
Four months ago, however, it was Messi who became the center of attention as President Trump made a fuss over him in the East Room, gushing that he could become the first president to ever welcome the Argentine to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
"We're honoring truly talented people," Trump said, while flanked by Messi, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas, and the rest of Miami's squad behind him.
"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 also made sure to highlight the Argentine's achievement of winning something 'so soon' after arriving in the MLS, despite the 39-year-old arriving back in 2023, while the president let him know just how adored he is by his 20-year-old son.
"My son said, 'Dad, do you know who's going to be there today?' I said, 'No, I got a lot of things going on.' He said, 'Messi,'" Trump continued.
"He's a big fan of yours. He thinks you're just a great person. And I think you got to meet a little while ago. So he's a big soccer fan, but he's a tremendous fan of yours. And a gentleman named Ronaldo. Cristiano is great. You're great."
Trump added: "Leo, you came in and you won, and that's something very hard to do, very, very unusual and frankly, there's a lot more pressure put on you than anyone would know, because you sort of expected to win, but almost nobody wins."
Messi, however, wasn't the only one to be shown appreciation, as the former Barcelona star later handed Trump a signature Miami pink soccer ball, while Trump also received a Miami jersey and watch from Mas and head coach Javier Mascherano.
Following the reception, Trump invited the team, which included other notable stars such as Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, to the Oval Office.
It comes as US Soccer CEO JT Batson was forced to address the World Cup controversy surrounding the USMNT red card situation involving President Trump and Folarin Balogun.
