Messi censured for meeting and applauding Trump amid US attacks on Iran
Al Jazeera
Inter Miami and Messi were honoured at the White House, where Trump boasted the US military’s might.
Lionel Messi has been criticised for meeting United States President Donald Trump and applauding his latest brief on the Iran war at an White House event honouring the Argentinian superstar and his Inter Miami team.
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.”
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