Inter Miami, which includes stars like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, won the 2025 MLS Cup Championship against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Photo courtesy of Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via WikiPortraits.
By Isabella Ferrou
TAMPA, Fla. — On March 5, 2026, the Major League Soccer (MLS) team Inter Miami was welcomed to the White House to celebrate the MLS Cup championship they won in December 2025.
It was the first time Inter Miami won this championship, and they also made history by becoming the first MLS team to be hosted by the Trump administration.
After Inter Miami’s squad took the stage in the White House’s East Room, President Donald Trump began his speech by addressing the recent military conflict with Iran.
In a New York Times article, the president said, “The U.S. military, together with the wonderful Israeli partners, continues to demolish the enemy far ahead of schedule.”
He continued by describing the U.S. military’s missile and drone defense capabilities, and how the United States wants to fight now more than ever.
After several minutes of discussing the military situation in Iran, Trump finished his update as members of Inter Miami stood behind him on stage, appearing somewhat uncertain about the situation.
Shifting the focus to soccer, the President said his son, Barron Trump, is a fan and alerted him about how his star player will be in attendance at the White House. Yahoo Sports reported that Barron is a big fan of Messi and had met him earlier that day.
“He thinks you’re just a great person, and I think you got to meet a little while ago,” Trump said.
Trump briefly mentioned the team’s season and emphasized the key players that led them to victory. Some include Lionel Messi, who contributed massively to the team as a whole, Luis Suarez, and his performance in the Club World Cup, and playmaker Rodrigo de Paul in the final.
“Then you tied the best Brazilian club with a brilliant goal of the greatest striker of all time, Luis Suarez,” said Trump in his speech, according to a video clip from Meganoticias.
The meeting was soon concluded, and Trump then decided to extend the invitation to join him in the Oval Office, where he said it was the “center of the world, especially now,” according to The Times.
While this was supposed to be a lighthearted commemoration of the team and their efforts, it turned political, prompting stars to face backlash for attending the event.
Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players in history and one who constantly stays out of politics, stood alongside his teammates and Trump during his remarks.
According to the Miami Herald, head coach Javier Mascherano said in a press conference that they were just following orders.
“We complied with a protocol that is a tradition to come to the White House for being the championship team,” said Mascherano.
He later said the team was expecting only to talk about football and that they only had a brief meeting with the President, which was shown on TV.
This controversy sparked a notable absence of the co-owner of the club, David Beckham, due to a prior commitment with Victoria in Europe for Fashion Week. The Times also noted how Beckham has developed a tendency to avoid potentially embarrassing situations.
Trump’s event blurred the line between sports and politics, which many believe should be separate. As a result, Inter Miami’s historic championship celebration became overshadowed by a larger national debate beyond the soccer pitch.