David Beckham was notably absent on Thursday as his football club, Inter Miami CF, visited the White House for a meeting with US President Donald Trump. Invited to Washington, D.C. to commemorate their triumph in the 2025 MLS Cup, the team, which is co-owned by David and billionaire brothers Jorge Mas and Jose Mas, was pictured in the East Room ahead of their match against DC United on Saturday. While David, 50, was unable to attend the meeting, Inter Miami's captain, Lionel Messi, took the reins.
© Samir Hussein/^WireImage"It's my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before," Donald Trump, 79, said in a speech. "Welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi!" Revealing that his 19-year-old son, Barron Trump, is a huge fan of the Argentine footballer, the father-of-five continued: "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."
© White House Via X Account / Handout/Anadolu via Getty ImagesDirectly addressing Messi, President Trump added, "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."
Why David Beckham was absent from the White House
Inter Miami fans may wonder why David was absent on Thursday, but the former England captain has an admirable reason. On hand to support his wife, Victoria Beckham, the father-of-four touched down in Paris, where VB, 51, is poised to present her Fall/Winter 2026 collection at Paris Fashion Week. Revealing that he'd landed in the French capital, David posed for a selfie by Notre-Dame on Thursday. "Always amazing to be back in Paris," he told fans on Instagram.
© InstagramA family affair, David and Victoria aren't the only Beckhams in town right now. Ahead of Victoria's highly anticipated show, their sons, Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 21, have uploaded snaps from Paris, and while she hasn't been spotted yet, their younger sister Harper, 14, is also expected to attend. As for the couple's eldest son, Brooklyn, 27, the budding chef and his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham, remain estranged from David and Victoria, whom he accused of controlling narratives in the press and disrespecting Nicola in an explosive statement released in January.
For the time being, Brooklyn and Nicola – who reside in a $16 million home in Beverly Hills – are staying put in the US, where they recently celebrated his 27th birthday.
