By Bo Erickson and Angelica Medina
WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team to the White House on Thursday, but confessed he had no idea that one of the world's greatest soccer players was coming — until his son told him.
Trump celebrated 2025 Major League Soccer Cup champions Inter Miami in a ceremony that blended athletic prowess and military might, as the president boasted about the United States' ongoing operation in Iran.
"The United
States military, together with the wonderful Israeli partners, continues to totally demolish the enemy, far ahead of schedule and at levels that people have never seen before," Trump said as Argentine great Messi stood next to him.
Trump then turned his attention to what he called "soccer-slash-football," mixing both the American and international terms for the game.
"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," Trump said.
Trump said Messi's visit snuck up on him, as the White House has been engulfed in the operation in Iran since Saturday, realising Thursday's event was scheduled only after his son pointed it out to him.
"I got a lot of things going on," Trump quipped.
With a World Cup on America's doorstep, Trump praised Miami coach Javier Mascherano, and other soccer greats like Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazilian legend Pele, but raved the most over Messi and the Florida team.
"Leo is the reigning FIFA World Cup MVP. You could have gone anywhere in the world. You could have chosen any team in the world, and you chose to go to Miami. I don't blame you. The weather's extremely good," Trump said.
As the president regaled the East Room crowd with a play-by-play of the team's victory, Trump gushed about the "good-looking" men on the team, who stood lined up behind him.
Surveying the squad, Trump paused to single out Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, and asked, "Do you have any bad looking players?"
"I don't like good looking men," Trump joked, "You don't feel so good about yourself."
The team presented the president with a jersey featuring number 47, a reference to Trump as the 47th president, and a soccer ball and watch with the team's signature pink colour.
Trump also looked ahead to the summer. "We have the World Cup and the Olympics," he said. The World Cup, co-hosted by the Canada, Mexico and U.S., across 16 cities, runs from June 11 to July 19 and will be the first to feature 48 teams.
Argentina will arrive as defending World Cup and Copa America champions.
Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi had previously been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Joe Biden, Trump's Democratic predecessor, in January 2025. However, Messi said he was unable to attend the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts.
Turning back to politics, Trump complimented Secretary of State Marco Rubio's handling of the Iran operation, and said when that war is finished, the United States could turn to focus on communist Cuba.
Cuba wants "to make a deal so badly," Trump said.
(Reporting by Bo Erickson in Washington; writing by Angelica Medina in Mexico City, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
