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Pope Francis died on Monday (April 21), aged 88, a day after making a much hoped-for appearance at Saint Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, the Vatican said in a statement.
"This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father," said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in the statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel.
It is a loss for many as the world mourns a spiritual icon. Global football followers, however, seem to be more concerned about one of the surprising legacies he leaves behind: His views on who the greatest footballer of all time really is.
'He was a man with a big heart'
An Argentinian to the core, and lifelong San Lorenzo de Buenos Aires fan, Pope Francis shocked his countrymen when he, in an interview, claimed Pele, the Brazilian football legend, to be the greatest footballer that ever lived, surpassing Argentina’s Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.
After Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or, Italian TV channel Rai 1 journalist Gian Marco Chiocci asked the pope during an interview who he’d rather have, Messi or Maradona. “I would add a third one, Pelé,” replied Pope Francis. “They are the three that I have seen play.”
“Maradona was great as a player, but as a man, he failed,” added Francis. “The poor man slipped, with an entourage that praised him but didn’t help him. He came to see me here during the first year of my pontificate. Then, unfortunately, he died.”
The Pope commented on the difficult conditions in which many footballers and boxers find themselves in their last years, often in poverty and poor health. He called the situation “very curious.”
“Messi is a gentleman, but for me, among these three, the greatest is Pelé,” Pope Francis said. “He was a man with a very big heart. I spoke with him, met him on a plane in Buenos Aires, and he was a man of great humanity.” His answer surprised many, considering the heated footballing rivalry between Argentina and Brazil.