On Saturday at the White House, President Joe Biden presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to honor 19 people for their distinguished accomplishments. One person who was absent from that ceremony was Argentina soccer legend and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi,

Lionel Messi has released a statement on social media to explain why he was not present at the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Saturday. The Inter Miami forward was awarded the United States' highest civilian honor by outgoing U.

Messi’s management team and his pro team, Inter Miami, informed the White House ahead of time that he would not be able to attend the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts.

The Venezuelan opposition leader who claims to have defeated President Nicolás Maduro in last year’s presidential election has met with U.S. President Joe Biden

Lionel Messi was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden but missed the White House ceremony. The soccer legend cited prior commitments as the reason for his absence.