New Delhi, July 18 -- US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) praised Argentina captain Lionel Messi's performance against England in the second semifinal of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, and also hailed his relationships with other stars of the game like Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane with FIFA president Gianni Infantino standing next to him during the FIFA reception at the Trump Tower in New York.

Regarding the sensational cross Messi served on a plate for Lautaro Martinez to score the winning goal that took Argentina to the semifinal, the US President said, "I watched that pass that Messi made...He was well guarded by a great player and then he moved to the right, and the other player was just standing there...He kicked ...