Inter Miami were crowned champions of the 2025 MLS Cup after defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps in the final. Now they receive recognition from the President of the United States, Donald Trump, as they visit the White House with Lionel Messi as the central figure, though Trump also mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo during the ceremony.
Trump made a separate entrance to the ceremony, though the big surprise was that he did so alongside Messi. He then delivered congratulatory remarks, where he also recalled a pleasant visit from Cristiano Ronaldo. There was no comparison made, rather praise for the Portugal star and the captain of Inter Miami.
“I just wanted to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before, welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi. Lionel Messi is… my son said, Dad, you know who’s gonna be there today? I said, no, I got a lot of things going on. He said, Messi. I said, really? He’s a big fan. He’s a big fan of yours. He’s just a great person, Messi. I think after meeting you a little while. So he’s a big soccer fan, but he’s a tremendous fan of yours and a gentleman named Ronaldo.”
“We have Cristiano, who’s a great and you are great boys, some big champions, some great, great athletes in this sport and people that really love what they’re doing and they’re doing it well. And it’s an honor for us and everybody at the White House to be honoring you today.”
Trump’s question about who is better
Messi’s visit to the White House was the first after he did not attend the previously scheduled 2025 Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony organized by former President Joe Biden. According to The Athletic, his absence was due to a tight schedule, but the visit has now taken place and Trump praised him for winning the MLS, even bringing up a comparison.
“This guy Lionel Messi came here, MLS, and he won. Many great players come here, they play okay, but they do not win. But Leo, you came in and you won. And you have a lot more pressure than the rest as well, you came in with all that pressure and you won,” Trump said. “Who’s better? Him or Pele?“ Trump later added that he saw Pele play and described it as something fantastic.
How was Cristiano Ronaldo’s visit to the White House?
On November 18, 2025, Cristiano Ronaldo visited the White House while President Donald Trump hosted an elegant dinner to honor Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Portuguese star sat near the front of the East Room, not far from where the president and the crown prince delivered speeches to dignitaries from both nations, along with major business leaders such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla founder Elon Musk. In his remarks, Trump highlighted Cristiano’s presence and said he introduced him to his teenage son. As he also mentioned with Messi, it appears he is a big fan of the sport.