The photo of the moment: Donald Trump received Lionel Messi and the Inter Miami squad at the White House

After rumors that questioned his presence, Lionel Messi met for the first time with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, during an official reception to the Inter Miami squad at the White House. The meeting, which mixed sports and politics, left an image that quickly went viral: the greeting between the Argentine captain and the president in front of the

cameras.

The club's visit to Florida was part of an American sports tradition, in which the White House receives outstanding teams as institutional recognition for their sporting achievements. In this case, Inter Miami was invited after becoming champion of the 2025 MLS Cup, a tournament in which Rosario was one of the

great figures.

The ceremony took place in the East Room and began with the admission of the entire squad. Minutes later, Trump, club owner Jorge Mas and Messi himself appeared, who walked together to the lectern while players and guests

applauded.

The president greeted several players and when he shook hands with the Argentine captain he said: "Great job.” Later, during his speech, he also referred to his family's admiration for the player. “It's a great privilege for me to say what no American president has had the opportunity to say before. Welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi. My son said to me: 'Dad, do you know who will be there today? ' I said, 'No, I have a lot of things to do'. He told me: 'Messi'. He's a big fan of yours,” he said, which sparked laughter among those present. “And also about Cristiano Ronaldo... it's great,” he added

.

One of the most talked about moments came when Trump recalled his admiration for Pelé and asked the audience a question: “Who is better: Messi or Pelé? ”. The response was immediate. With applause and laughter, most of the audience answered in unison: “Messi! “, while the soccer player himself reacted with a smile

.

Also present at the ceremony were Argentinian Javier Mascherano, coach of Las Garzas, and Rodrigo De Paul, among others, as well as several US cabinet officials. As a protocol gesture, Jorge Mas presented the president with an Inter Miami jersey with the number 47, in reference to his current presidency, while Messi handed him a ball signed by

the entire squad.

The visit came in the run-up to the match that Inter Miami will play against DC United in Baltimore and left an unprecedented postcard: the first public meeting between the captain of the Argentine national team and the US president

.