U.S. President Donald Trump received the Inter Miami soccer team, the MLS champion, at the White House on Thursday and surprised everyone by comparing Lionel Messi to the legendary Brazilian Pelé. "I shouldn't say this because then they'll say I'm old, but I saw Pelé play when he was with the New York Cosmos," Trump stated. "This kid (Messi) came, there was a big fuss... and he won," he added. The president noted that the Argentine faced immense pressure due to high expectations. "You, Leo, you came and you won, and that's very difficult, very unusual. You endured much more pressure than anyone can imagine," Trump emphasized. During the visit, Trump received a jersey from Inter Miami with his last name and the number 47 (a reference to him being the 47th U.S. president), as well as a soccer ball and a personalized Tudor watch. "I told myself what many thought was impossible: we're going to bring the best player in the world to Inter Miami," said club president Jorge Mas. "You are seeing one of the best teams on the planet, right behind us," he added. Inter Miami was crowned MLS champion last December for the first time in its history, just five years after its league debut in 2020.
