In one of the most surreal intersections of sports and global politics, football legend Lionel Messi was caught applauding United States President Donald Trump while speaking about Iran during a White House visit.
The 2025 MLS Cup champions, Inter Miami CF, visited the East Room to celebrate their title, but the atmosphere shifted from celebratory as Trump pivoted from football accolades to a heated address regarding ongoing military operations in the Middle East.
The event began with the customary pomp, as Messi entered alongside President Trump and Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas. The Argentine superstar presented Trump with a bejeweled pink soccer ball and a custom “47” jersey.
However, the lighthearted banter about Messi’s “G.O.A.T.” status was interrupted when the President began a lengthy update on the conflict with Iran.
Recall that the U.S and Israel jointly launched airstrikes against Iran last week. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a host of Iranian leaders were killed during the strikes.
With Messi just steps behind him during the White House visit, Trump said: “The United States military together with the wonderful Israeli partners, continues to demolish the enemy, at levels people have never seen before. We are destroying Iran’s missiles.”
He then added: “They’re tough, and they wanna fight. And they’re calling, and they’re saying: ‘How do we make a deal?’ And I’m saying that ‘you’re being a bit late’. We want to fight more than they do,” before saying: “We’re doing a great job. We’ve got the greatest military anyone’s ever seen.”
While Trump moved on, Messi was involved in another awkward moment as he brought up the forward’s long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
He said: “I am thrilled to host the 2025 MLS Cup champions Inter Miami – great job. No US president has had the chance to say ‘welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi ’
“My son said ‘You know who’s going to be there today, Dad?’ I said ‘I’ve got a lot of things going on at the moment!’ My son said: ‘Messi!’ He’s a big fan of yours. You’ve got to meet him. A tremendous fan of yours and a gentleman named Ronaldo.”
“Cristiano is great, you are great, so many great champions and athletes in your sport and it’s an honour for the White House to be honouring you today,” Trump added.
The visit has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and sports commentators alike, who questioned the appropriateness of using a sports celebration as a backdrop for war rhetoric.
While Messi has historically maintained a strictly apolitical public persona, critics on social media were quick to point out that while the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner did not speak, his presence provided a powerful visual for the administration’s messaging.
”Messi has long steered clear of politics, but this visit marks a change in the ‘brand protection’ we usually see from his camp,” noted sports analyst Simon Bowman during an AP interview.
Spain’s White House correspondent, David Alandete, also pointed out how odd it was for Messi to listen intently while Trump suggested that the US would shift its focus to Cuba after the Iran War.
“Here they have Trump announcing that the Cuban dictatorship is going to fail and that Miami’s exiles will be able to return to the island soon, all of this in front of Lionel Messi, who listens attentively,” wrote Alandete (translated from Spanish).
“One of those surreal moments that only happen in Washington.”
Argentinian sportswriter Mariano Sinito referred to the White House visit as “a stain” on Messi’s other indelible legacy.
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