“It was ridiculous and strange to award it” - Ex-USMNT star Alexi Lalas slams Lionel Messi for skipping Presidential Medal of Freedom award ceremony

Former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas has criticized Lionel Messi for not attending the Presidential Medal of Freedom award ceremony at the White House. The Inter Miami ace was one of 19 people to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom - America's highest civilian honor.

Messi earned the prestigious award due to his prowess on the pitch as well as his charity work away from Football, as explained by The White House (via GOAL):

"He supports healthcare and education programs for children around the world through the Leo Messi Foundation and serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador."

Numerous celebrities attended the event on January 4, 2025, including Denzel Washington and Hillary Clinton. However, Lionel Messi was nowhere to be seen with his team releasing a public statement, detailing the reason for his absence. They posted, as per the source mentioned above:

"The White House informed FIFA, which informed the club at the end of December that Leo was to be awarded this recognition. Leo, through the club, sent a letter to the White House saying that he feels deeply honored and that it is a great privilege to receive this recognition but that due to scheduling conflicts and prior commitments he will not be able to attend. He thanked the gesture and noted that he hopes to have the opportunity to meet with him in the near future."

Lalas wasn't impressed by Lionel Messi snubbing the chance to be rewarded by Joe Biden, even questioning the decision to reward the former. When a fan on X questioned if Messi was in the wrong to skip the event, Lalas responded:

"Yes. It was ridiculous and strange to award it to Messi. But if you're going to accept the honor, then find a way to be in DC."

It was also reported that no one from Messi's entourage attended to receive the medal on his behalf. Moreover, the announcer skipped the Argentine's name completely while reading out the list of winners.

---

How did Lionel Messi fare for Inter Miami last season?

Lionel Messi was criticized for not attending the White House earlier this week to receive his Presidential Medal of Freedom. However, let's look at the positives to see how the 37-year-old fared for Inter Miami during the 2024 season.

Messi garnered 23 goals and 13 assists in 25 appearances across all competitions last season. Despite missing 13 games due to injury, the Argentine guided the Herons to the top of the MLS Eastern Conference standings with a club-record haul of 74 points from 34 games.

This helped Lionel Messi and Inter Miami secure the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield trophy. While the former was unable to win any other cups, he was notably named the winner of the Landon Donovan MVP Award for the 2024 campaign.