President Donald Trump gestures toward soccer superstar Lionel Messi, who has always taken pains to steer clear of politics, during Inter Miami’s visit to celebrate the team’s 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup victory, at the White House in Washington, March 5, 2026. Trump seized the occasion to talk about the demolition of Iran’s military and regime change in Cuba, turning a routine celebration into a polarizing firestorm. (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times) By EMMA BUBOLA and DANIEL…
