The president of the United States Donald Trump expressed words of genuine admiration for Lionel Messi during an official FIFA reception held this Friday at the Trump Tower in New York, where he described with surprising detail a play by the Argentine star in the semifinal of the 2026 World Cup against England.
In the event, which was attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Trump described the play by Messi that secured Argentina's spot in the final with a precision that left many people astonished.
"It was well marked, well marked, and suddenly he was standing on the right. The great player who was marking him was just standing there. He had plenty of time to kick. I would say he was a quarter of an inch away from being perfect. And that was the end of the match. It was brilliant," the president described.
The play Trump referred to occurred in the 85th minute of the semifinal on Wednesday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, when Messi assisted Enzo Fernández to kick off Argentina's comeback from a score of 0-1 against.
Argentina had been trailing since the 55th minute, when Anthony Gordon gave England the lead. In a dramatic turn in the final six minutes, the Albiceleste team turned the match around: first with Fernández's goal in the 85th minute, assisted by Messi, and then with Lautaro Martínez's goal in the 90+2 minute, also assisted by the Argentine captain.
Messi finished the semifinal without scoring, but with two assists that ignited madness in Argentina and established him as the undeniable star of the tournament.
Trump acknowledged that he is not very knowledgeable about soccer, but he insisted that no one else had noticed that move by Messi: "I don't know if anyone else caught it. I just noticed it. No one talked about it."
The president also described the 2026 World Cup as "one of the greatest sporting events of all time," with over 6.5 million spectators in stadiums and nearly six billion viewers projected for the final.
Messi arrives at Sunday’s final as the leader of the Golden Boot in the tournament, with eight goals and four assists in the competition, and as the all-time top scorer in World Cups with 21 goals, a record he set on June 22, 2026.
With his qualification for the final, Messi also becomes the only player alongside Cafú to have played in three World Cup finals, a historic milestone that highlights the significance of his career.
Trump confirmed that he will attend the Argentina vs. Spain final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he will present the trophy to the champion alongside Infantino.
It won't be the first time that the president and the Argentine star share a moment: in March 2026, Trump received Messi and Inter Miami at the White House to celebrate the 2025 MLS Cup title, an occasion during which he stated that it was "a great privilege" to welcome Messi, something that "no U.S. president had the opportunity to say before."
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