Argentinian football legend Lionel Messi’s visit to the White House with his Inter Miami teammates caused many reactions on social media on Thursday.
The visit – held in honor of the club co-owned by David Beckham’s 2025 MLS Cup title – came just five months after Messi’s great rival, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, also visited the White House, a trip that also sparked criticism online.
Watch Trump’s full speech here:
Messi, the World Cup winner widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, was accused by critics of being a “sold out‘for their presence at the event.
Beckham was not present the ceremony.
President Donald Trump began his speech standing in front of the squad – what including players from Honduras, Brazil, Jamaica, Spain, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico and more – with an update on the war against Iran.
He made explicit comments about injured people:
Trump also repeated his false claims about the 2020 election.
And he said Cuba would be the next country to undergo regime change.
When the focus turned to football, Trump commented on the players’ appearance.
He also imagined celebrating with them after a win, saying, “What a group of people. We could have a lot of fun with these guys. You can imagine how they celebrate when they win. We don’t want to talk about it. We don’t want to talk about it.”
At another point, Trump pretended to be his son, 19-year-old soccer fan Barron Trump, and reacted excitedly to Messi’s visit.
Messi and Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas also presented Trump with a “Trump 47” Inter Miami jersey, a football and a watch with Trump’s name engraved in tribute to him.
