Barça’s global recognition has even reached the White House. The U.S. President, Barack Obama compared himself to the first team player Lionel Messi. Obama made this comparison during the official reception for the champions of the North American Soccer League (MLS), the Colorado Rapids.

The director of the Rapids, Jeff Plush, presented the President with a shirt from the Denver team, with the number 10 on the back, “reserved for the team leader”. Obama, on receiving the gift, said: "Like me and Messi, at the same level".

Obama, a basketball fan, has emotional ties with football as his daughters, Malia and Sasha, practice the sport known in the United States as soccer. It’s not surprising that the President auto-defined himself as a "football father".

Obama's response occurred exactly one month ahead of the game in Washington where Barça will be playing against Manchester United on the 30th of July (at 19.00 GMT-4). It will be the first game that the team is scheduled to play on their 2011 tour of the United States.