Messi's White House Visit with Inter Miami Draws Social Media Backlash
Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi faced a wave of criticism on social media Thursday after visiting the White House with his Inter Miami teammates. The event, held to celebrate the club's 2025 MLS Cup title, came just five months after Messi's longtime rival, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, also made a White House trip that similarly ignited online controversy.
Controversial Presidential Remarks Dominate Ceremony
President Donald Trump used the occasion to make several controversial statements, beginning with graphic comments about the conflict with Iran. Standing before the diverse Inter Miami squad — which includes players from Honduras, Brazil, Jamaica, Spain, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico and other nations — Trump provided an update on military operations.
"Operation Epic Fury is continuing to totally demolish the enemy — far ahead of schedule and at levels that people have never seen before," Trump declared. "They have no air force, they have no air defense, all of their airplanes are gone, their communications are gone, missiles..."
The president made particularly disturbing remarks about casualties, stating: "When you see somebody walking down the street without their legs, without the arms, whose face is so badly affected and hurt, it mostly came from — 95% — Soleimani and Iran."
Political Claims and Soccer Commentary
Trump repeated his false claims about the 2020 election during the celebration, asserting: "The election was rigged and stolen." He also suggested Cuba would be the next country to undergo regime change, commenting: "He's doing some job and your next one, Cuba. We can do them all at the same time but bad things happen, if you watch countries that do them all too fast, bad things happen."
When the focus turned to soccer, Trump made unusual comments about the players' appearance, asking: "Do you have any bad looking players? No? I like the bad looking guys much better." He later imagined celebrating with the team after victories, saying: "What a group of people. We could have a lot of fun with these guys. You can imagine when they win how they celebrate. We don't want to talk about it. We don't want to talk about it."
Messi's Role and Gift Presentation
Messi, the World Cup champion widely considered one of soccer's greatest players ever, was accused by critics of being a "sell out" for participating in the politically charged event. Notably, Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham did not attend the ceremony.
Trump impersonated his 19-year-old son Barron Trump's excitement about Messi's visit, stating: "Today, we're thrilled to host the 2025 MLS Cup Champions, Inter Miami... 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!"
During the event, Messi and Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas presented Trump with several gifts, including:
- A "Trump 47" Inter Miami jersey
- A custom soccer ball
- A watch etched with Trump's name and a personal tribute
The visit marks another instance of high-profile soccer figures becoming entangled in political controversies during White House celebrations, continuing a pattern that began with Ronaldo's earlier visit and now extends to one of the sport's most celebrated athletes.
