Just before noon Thursday (ET), the White House becomes an unexpected stop on a working week for inter miami cf: a ceremonial pause between training sessions, travel plans, and the simple reality that a champion’s schedule does not slow down just because the setting is historic.
President Donald Trump is hosting the 2025 MLS Cup champions at the White House, and Lionel Messi is expected to be there as part of the team. It is a visit that blends the formal choreography of American sports recognition with the everyday logistics of a club that still has matches to play.
What is happening at the White House for Inter Miami Cf — and when?
President Donald Trump is hosting Inter Miami, the 2025 MLS Cup champions, at the White House on Thursday (ET). The recognition comes as part of the longstanding tradition of American sports champions visiting the White House.
For the players and staff, the day is less a victory lap than a public moment layered on top of routine obligations. Inter Miami’s calendar remains active: the ceremony comes two days before the team’s scheduled Major League Soccer match against D. C. United on Friday, March 7 (ET), in Washington, D. C.
Is Lionel Messi attending, and why does his presence matter?
The entire team, including Lionel Messi, is expected to attend the White House visit. Messi, an Argentine soccer player, has become one of the central figures in Inter Miami’s rise, and his presence turns the ceremony into a major spotlight moment for the club.
Messi agreed to a new contract with Inter Miami in October, a deal that took several months to complete. Inter Miami said it was a three-year agreement through 2028, and the deal ensures he will be with the club for its planned move into a new stadium this year. His decision to remain in Miami is significant for both the club and Major League Soccer.
His individual résumé in the league is also part of the moment: Messi was the league’s MVP in 2024 and 2025, becoming only the second two-time winner in league history and the first to win it in back-to-back years. Messi is 38, and the contract makes it likely to be his last as a professional player. It is not clear how long he plans to keep playing.
The White House visit may also carry personal resonance. Messi previously received an invitation to the White House for a Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony from former President Joe Biden in 2025 but could not attend because of scheduling issues. This week’s trip is expected to be a different kind of White House moment: a team honor tied directly to a championship.
Why is David Beckham skipping the event?
One of the day’s most talked-about details has nothing to do with who is arriving, but with who is not. David Beckham, one of Inter Miami’s owners, is not attending the White House event because he is in Europe for his wife Victoria Beckham’s fashion show, a White House official said.
Beckham’s absence lands differently because his name is closely linked to the project itself. He was described as essentially the architect of the Inter Miami project, bringing in high-profile names to help form the club and later helping usher in world-class players on the field. Even with him overseas, the club’s presence at the White House functions as a visible marker of how far the organization has come: from an ownership vision to a league title, and now to a ceremonial stage where American sports champions are recognized.
How does the visit reflect a wider moment for soccer in the U. S. ?
Inter Miami’s appearance at the White House, especially with Messi expected to attend, highlights soccer’s growing prominence in the United States ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting.
The event also continues a recent pattern of high-profile soccer visits to the White House. In November 2025, Cristiano Ronaldo was received under President Trump, reinforcing how global stars can turn a ceremonial tradition into a cultural signal: soccer, once treated as a niche sport in some corners of American life, increasingly shares space with the country’s most established athletic rituals.
Still, for inter miami cf, the moment is also practical. With a match in Washington, D. C. looming on Friday (ET), the White House stop is threaded into a crowded week—an honor, but also another commitment to manage.
Image caption (alt text): inter miami cf players arrive at the White House for a championship ceremony with President Donald Trump in Washington, D. C.
