Donald Trump settles Messi v Pele debate and picks who is better

Washington D.C. – In a White House ceremony honoring Inter Miami’s 2025 MLS Cup triumph, President Donald Trump waded into one of football’s eternal arguments and declared Lionel Messi superior to Brazilian icon Pele.

Speaking to the gathered Inter Miami delegation, Trump reminisced about watching Pele during the latter’s spell with the New York Cosmos in the now-defunct North American Soccer League. “I shouldn’t say this because you’ll say I’m old, but I watched Pele play. He played for the Cosmos, you know that? Steve Ross was a great friend,” Trump said, referencing the late media mogul who bankrolled the Cosmos. “He really started cable and cable TV… he started the Cosmos team and he wanted to get some good players, so he started with Pele.”

After recounting those memories, the president turned to Messi, who stood among teammates fresh from a season that SofaScore logged at 43 goals and 25 assists in 49 appearances. “I don’t know, you may be better than Pele. Pele was pretty good. Who’s better? Him or Pele? That’s him. I agree. I think he is. But Pele was pretty good, right?”

The brief but pointed endorsement drew smiles from the Argentine forward, whose arrival in MLS has amplified global interest in the league and transformed Inter Miami into a marquee franchise. The ceremony underscored both the club’s maiden MLS Cup success and the cultural resonance of Messi’s presence in American soccer.

Trump’s comparison adds a presidential footnote to a rivalry debated across generations, placing the weight of the White House behind the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.