Mascherano defends Inter Miami after White House visit

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano addressed the fallout from his team’s visit to the White House, which had been arranged to celebrate their 2025 MLS Cup win. Photos of Lionel Messi and teammates alongside President Donald Trump drew widespread attention and placed the Herons at the centre of a non-sporting media storm.

Speaking in a Friday Zoom press conference, Mascherano tried to steer the conversation back to football. "I thought we were going to talk football," he said. "We complied with a protocol that is a tradition to come to the White House for being the championship team.

It was planned a long time ago for the week we would play here in Washington. We were there a few hours, got to see a little bit of the White House, not much, what we could. The contact with President Trump was what was seen on TV, not much more than that." He downplayed the political distractions and pointed to the heavy travel schedule as a bonding experience for the squad.

United States, Washington

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