Is Lionel Messi going to the White House? Inter Miami’s presidential visit
The MLS Cup champions will visit the White House ahead of the trip to DC United, with President Donald Trump expected to greet the team.
Inter Miami will mark their 2025 MLS Cup triumph with a trip to the White House next week, ahead of the team’s MLS game against DC United. Full details of the visit have not yet been published but there is every reason to believe that Lionel Messi will be in attendance, with President Donald Trump expected to welcome the team.
The Athletic reports that Miami will visit the White House on Thursday, March 5. The team is due to take on DC United two days later so Messi will likely be involved in the trip, which could be his first public encounter with Trump.
The President has already welcomed Cristiano Ronaldo - soccer’s other modern great - to the White House, inviting the Portuguese star to a black tie dinner last November. Ronaldo, who plays in the Saudi Pro League, was at the White House when Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Messi was previously invited to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Joe Biden but was unable to attend.
MLS teams at the White House
Across most major American sports, championship-winning teams are often invited to the White House to celebrate the achievement. In MLS the custom is less common but 2023 champions Columbus Crew were invited to meet with Biden.
Previously, current Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham had a trip to the White House as part of the LA Galaxy team that triumphed in the 2011 MLS Cup. The first MLS team to visit the White House was DC United in 1998, having won the first two editions of MLS Cup (1996, 1997).
Trump’s return to the tradition of bringing MLS champions to the White House is in-keeping with his growing interest in soccer. He was a very visible presence the 2025 Club World Cup - most notably in the final - and his public relationship with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino looks set to keep him front-and-center for this summer’s World Cup.
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