Lionel Messi did not send anyone to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on his behalf, nor did the Argentine attend the ceremony.#MLS #InterMiamiCF #Messi pic.twitter.com/GtH3bhcrxf
— Favian Renkel (@FavianRenkel) January 4, 2025
FOX NEWS
Soccer legend Lionel Messi was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Saturday, but he did not show up to the White House in person to receive the medal from President Biden. Messi was one of 19 recipients of the award, alongside NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.
According to USA Today, Messi’s management team and his pro team, Inter Miami, informed the White House ahead of time that he would not be able to attend the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts.
Messi came to the U.S. in 2023 to join Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, in one of the biggest superstar recruitments in the league’s 31-year history. Messi had only played in European leagues and for Argentina’s for most of his career to that point.
[…] Major League Soccer released a brief social media statement congratulating Messi on the award. Niether Inter Miami or Messi himself has acknowledged the award with a social media post at the time of publication. According to USA Today, the star said that “he is deeply honored and it is a profound privilege to receive the recognition.”
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