Global Icon Meets the Oval Office: President Trump Honors Lionel Messi and Inter Miami at the White House

The reaction to the visit was deeply divided along political and social lines. While many fans celebrated the imagery of the world’s greatest soccer player standing in the White House, others expressed criticism on social media. Some fans were disappointed to see Messi participate in a political ceremony during a time of global conflict, while others defended the visit as a standard tradition for any major American sports champion regardless of the sitting president.