Messi and Inter Miami Receive Unprecedented Honor in the United States

Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates are reportedly set to be honored with a visit to the White House to celebrate their 2025 MLS Cup championship.

According to The Athletic, Inter Miami will visit the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 5 to celebrate their 2025 MLS Cup victory, thereby becoming the latest American sports team to partake in this long-standing tradition.

While visits to the White House by professional and collegiate sports teams are quite common, this is a less frequent occurrence for MLS clubs. The Columbus Crew was the most recent MLS team to do so in 2024, during President Joe Biden's term. Inter Miami will also be the first MLS club to visit President Donald Trump during both his first and second terms.

During President Barack Obama's administration, MLS teams were invited to the White House on multiple occasions. Seven clubs participated, including the Columbus Crew in 2008, Real Salt Lake in 2009, the Colorado Rapids in 2010, LA Galaxy in 2011, 2012, and 2014, and Sporting Kansas City in 2013.

The LA Galaxy's 2011 visit was notable for featuring Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, who played a key role in the team's MLS Cup victory that year.

The first MLS club to visit the White House was D.C. United in 1998, celebrating their 1996 and 1997 MLS Cup titles, where they were received by President Bill Clinton.

Lionel Messi is likely to make his first White House visit, becoming the next global sports superstar to appear there, following Cristiano Ronaldo's visit in November for a state dinner.

Inter Miami's visit comes shortly after the controversial visit by the U.S. men's hockey team, which won gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics and was honored at the Oval Office and mentioned in the State of the Union address. The U.S. women's team, also gold medalists, was invited but declined due to scheduling conflicts and academic commitments, as well as issues related to Trump's remarks during a call with the men's team after their championship.

Messi was previously invited to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from President Biden in 2024 but was unable to attend. The Argentine superstar is one of 44 sports figures to have received this honor, with U.S. hockey goalie Connor Hellebuyck being a recent recipient praised by Trump in his State of the Union address.

Following the White House visit, Inter Miami will return to MLS action to face D.C. United on March 7 in Baltimore.