Javier Mascherano reveals if Lionel Messi and Donald Trump talked more off-TV during White House visit
· Yahoo Sports
Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano has clarified exactly what happened when Lionel Messi met Donald Trump during the club’s visit to the White House.
The MLS champions made the trip as part of the traditional visit extended to title-winning teams.
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However, the interaction between Messi and the US President quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the visit.
Photo by Rich Storry/Getty ImagesJavier Mascherano explains Lionel Messi and Donald Trump’s White House interaction
Miami Herald reported Mascherano’s explanation of what actually happened during Inter Miami’s visit to the White House.
“We complied with a protocol that is a tradition to come to the White House for being the championship team. It was planned a long time ago for the week we would play here in Washington,” Mascherano said.
He added: “We were there a few hours, got to see a little bit of the White House, not much, what we could. The contact with President Trump was what was seen on TV, not much more than that.”
Mascherano’s comments make it clear that the meeting between Messi and Trump did not extend beyond what viewers saw publicly.
The Inter Miami delegation followed the usual championship protocol and spent only a limited amount of time at the White House. As a result, there were no extended private discussions between Messi and the President during the visit.
Donald Trump praised Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Al Nassr Tribune shared Trump’s remarks when he spoke about Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during the White House visit.
“My son is a big fan of you and the gentleman named Ronaldo. Cristiano is great, you’re [Messi] great too. Great champions, great athletes in their sport,” Trump said. “They love what they do, and they are doing it well.”
The comment referenced the long-running rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo that has defined football for more than a decade.
Both players remain among the most recognisable athletes in the world, which made their mention during the White House meeting unsurprising.
For Inter Miami, though, the visit itself was primarily about honouring the club’s championship success rather than creating a major political moment.
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