A longstanding commitment prevented Sir David Beckham from joining Inter Miami’s players and staff at their White House reception on Thursday. Lionel Messi and his team-mates met United States president Donald Trump at the White House to commemorate the club's MLS Cup triumph.
But the event has not been without controversy, as the Miami staff and players in attendance were forced to watch on as Trump addressed the media. During his address, not only did President Trump celebrate Miami’s achievement, but he also provided an update on the ongoing US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
However, according to The Times, Beckham was not in attendance because he had a long-standing commitment with his wife, Victoria, in Europe.
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Amid the fallout and backlash from the reception, Miami’s head coach Javier Mascherano has claimed that he and his squad were told they would 'only talk about football' before their White House meeting.
"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.
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"The contact with President Trump was what was seen on TV, not much more than that. The White House visit was planned between a month and a half and two months ago."
During the reception, President Trump said: "My son [Barron] said, 'Dad, do you know who's going to be there today?' I said, 'no, I've got a lot of things going on'.
"He said, 'Messi!' He's a big fan of yours. He thinks you're a great person and I think you got to meet a little while ago."
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Before he added: "Leo claimed the 47th trophy of his incredible career - the most of all time.
"You could have gone anywhere in the world, any team in the world, and you chose Miami. I just want to thank you for bringing us all on this ride.
"I shouldn't say this because I'm old, but I watched Pele play. I don't know, you may be better than Pele. Pele was pretty good."