Messi criticized for meeting and applauding Trump amid war

Messi received strong praise from Trump in Washington, DC on Thursday, but his meeting with and praise for the US president sparked criticism on social media.

Messi drew high praise from Trump in Washington, DC on Thursday, but the Miami captain received backlash on social media for meeting and applauding the US president, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.

Messi drew high praise from Trump in Washington, DC on Thursday, but the Miami captain received backlash on social media for meeting and applauding the US president.

Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps in December for the Major League Soccer (MLS) title, and Messi was named the league’s MVP for the second consecutive season.

“It’s my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ⁠ever had the chance to say before: ‘Welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi,’“ Trump said as the 38-year-old stood beside him.

“Leo, you came in and you won, and that’s something very hard to do, very, very unusual and frankly, there’s a lot more pressure put on you than anyone would know, because you sort of expected to win, but almost nobody wins.”

Messi, who entered the ceremony alongside Trump, joined Inter Miami in mid-2023 to great fanfare. He did not speak during the event, which opened with comments on military action with Trump addressing the war with Iran, extending the political address to highlight the situation in Venezuela and a possible future announcement regarding Cuba and tariffs.

Source: News. Az
--Agencies