Pope Francis and the beautiful game: A pontiff who found joy and faith in football

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, died at the age of 88, the Vatican confirmed in a video statement on Monday (April 21). His death comes after a 12-year papacy.

FourSerie A matches scheduled to take place on Monday have been postponed to a later date following the death of Pope Francis, the Italian top flight said in a statement.Udinese's game at Torino, Fiorentina's visit to Cagliari, Genoa's match against Lazio and Juventus' trip to Parma will be rescheduled.

A number of Serie A clubs posted tributes to the Pope following his passing. "A loss that deeply saddens our city and the entire world," a Roma statement read.

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'A passionate football supporter'

However, not many are aware that the 88-year-old was a known football fan and had supported Argentine side San Lorenzo since he was a child.

Also Read: Pope Francis made his big screen debut in this 2018 film which premiered at Cannes

His successor enjoyed Mozart, but for Pope Francis, 'the most beautiful game' was football, which served as both an educational tool and a means to promote peace.

Pope Francis welcomed some of the greatest stars of football, from his Argentine compatriots Lionel Messi and the late Diego Maradona to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gianluigi Buffon, at the Vatican, signing dozens of shirts and balls he got from all over the world.

'It was romantic football'

Recalling his childhood, he remembered playing on the streets of Buenos Aires with a ball made from rags.San Lorenzo club in Buenos Aires was the epicenter of his loyalty, as he would go watch the matches with his father and brothers, which turned him into an inseperable fanatic of football.

“It was romantic football,” he reminisced.

Even after becoming Pope, he continued being a member of the club and caused a minor uproar when he accepted a membership card from Boca Juniors, the club’s rivals, as part of an educational partnership with the Vatican.

Along with one of the Swiss guards, Francis was updated on the club’s progress. The guard would leave the results and the league tables on his desk.

Francis held giant masses in football stadiums during international visits, which is no different than seeing the sport as a religion.French Bishop Emmanuel Gobilliard, the Vatican Olympic delegate for Paris 2024, expressed that he comprehended the significance of football in someone's life.

“It is a fact that regardless of the different social classes, whether you are a footballer, a football viewer, or a football fan, it does not matter, it is a way of life,” he was quoted in a statement given to AFP.

Yet football was not just a passion, “For Francis, a Jesuit born in Argentina, football was another means for promoting education and peace, especially when there is so much money, violence, and corruption involved in its administration.”

“Francis has called for a number of initiatives, as was the case in 2014 when the Olympic stadium in Rome hosted an interreligious match for peace,” the article stated.

Also Read: Pope Francis' papacy showered with love and marred by controversy

In 2019, Pope Francis said, “Many say that football is the most beautiful game in the world. I think so too.” "Reminding them of their social obligations is crucial,” Francis said in a message directed toward the Italian and Argentinian national football teams back in 2013. He also cautioned against ‘business’ football.

Gobillard states that in the same way as religion, football's goal is ‘to put the whole in front of the individual.’”“We serve a purpose far greater than ourselves, both individually and collectively.”

The pontiff's love for the game inspired a scene in Netflix's hit film "The Two Popes", in which former pope Benedict XVI and then-cardinal Jorge Bergoglio watch the 2014 World Cup final between their two countries, Germany and Argentina.

It was pure fiction, as the soon-to-be Francis gave up watching television in 1990 -- the year the then West Germany beat Argentina in the World Cup final hosted by Italy -- while his predecessor preferred classical music and reading.

But he dedicated an entire chapter in his 2024 autobiography to Maradona, whose infamous "hand of God" goal helped Argentina beat England in their 1986 World Cup quarter-final clash.

"When, as pope, I received Maradona in the Vatican a few years ago... I asked him, jokingly, 'So, which is the guilty hand?'" he said in 2024.