Lionel Messi's visit to the White House with his Inter Miami teammates took an unexpected turn when US President Donald Trump invoked the name of Cristiano Ronaldo while praising the Argentine star. Hosting the MLS champions on March 5, Trump narrated a conversation with his son Barron, before going on to say to Messi, “Cristiano is great. You're great.”
Messi visited the White House with his Inter Miami teammates who were hosted by the US President to celebrate their 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup victory. Miami won their maiden MLS Cup on Dec. 6, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in an exciting final at Fort Lauderdale.
Here's a look at the moment that President Trump brought up Ronaldo below:
The 38-year-old Argentinean superstar was named the league's MVP for the second consecutive season after a record-breaking campaign where he scored a league-leading 29 goals and 19 assists across 28 games, taking home the Golden Boot. His total of 48 goal contributions fell just one short of the all-time MLS record of 49 set by Carlos Vela in 2019.
Since joining Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, Messi has guided the club to three titles: the 2023 Leagues Cup, the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield, and the 2025 MLS Cup. The former Barcelona man chipped in with two assists in the MLS Cup victory over Vancouver.
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To celebrate the MLS Cup victory, the Inter Miami players and club owner, Jorge Mas were invited to a White House reception. It was the first White House visit for Messi and it follows the visit of fellow superstar and longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who attended a White House black-tie dinner alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
The “Cristiano Is Great. You're Great” Moment
Addressing the media with the Inter Miami players and owner flanked behind him, Trump began by providing an update of his administration's ongoing war against Iran while also giving a glowing assessment of the supposedly booming US economy. All the while, Luis Suárez, Messi and every other Miami player stood behind him.
He then went on to bring up his son's infatuation with both Messi and Ronaldo. Narrating a conversation with his son Barron who is a known football aficionado, the US President said, "My son said, 'Dad, do you know who's going to be there today?' I said, 'No, I got a lot of things going on.' He said, 'Messi.'
"He's a big fan of yours. He thinks you're just a great person. And I think you got to meet a little while ago. So he's a big soccer fan, but he's a tremendous fan of yours. And a gentleman named Ronaldo. Cristiano is great. You're great."
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Trump also spoke about how he saw Brazilian great Pele play with the New York Cosmos, after which he declared to Messi: "You may be better than Pele," before posting the question to the assembled media, "Who's better?"
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