Pope Francis is being mourned all over the world following his death at the age of 88, with football paying its own tribute to the Argentine.
Just minutes after his passing was confirmed on Monday morning, Italy’s Serie A confirmed they had postponed all of their matches scheduled for Easter Monday as a mark of respect for the late Pope.
It is a fitting tribute for a man who adored ‘The Beautiful Game’.
Hailing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Pope was a lifelong supporter of his local team, San Lorenzo, and he was delighted to receive a club shirt back in 2013.
As he rose to power, he also got the chance to meet some of his country’s footballing heroes.
They don’t come much bigger than the great Diego Maradona, and the pair met at the Vatican in 2014, six years before the iconic footballer died at the age of 60.
Pope Francis met his fellow countryman and footballing legend Diego Maradona back in September 2014
The Pope also exchanged gifts with Lionel Messi and Gianluigi Buffon in 2013 when they visited the Vatican
Messi enjoyed the visit and would go on to follow in Maradona’s footsteps by winning the World Cup to the Pope’s delight
The Pope was a lifelong San Lorenzo fan after growing up in Buenos Aires and was gifted a club shirt back in 2013
The Pope met legendary manager Pep Guardiola in 2014 when he was in charge of Bayern Munich
The Pope held a private audience with Guardiola and his team, and was clearly delighted to meet them
He was even given a signed Champions League ball that he was seen clutching gleefully
He got a signed Bayern shirt that was presented to him by Philipp Lahm and Manuel Neuer
He also met Germany’s players – including Thomas Muller (left) – two years after their 2014 World Cup triumph
German staff also visited the Vatican, including manager Joachim Low (second right) and technical director Oliver Bierhoff
The Pope remembered Maradona in his prayers following his death, and referred to him as the ‘poet of soccer’ after his incredible career that saw him lead Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986.
If anyone can match Maradona’s achievements on a football pitch it is his fellow countryman Lionel Messi who also got the chance to share the Pope’s company.
Alongside goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon, Messi and the Pope exchanged gifts back in 2013, and Messi would lead Argentina to the World Cup final the following year. Eight years after that, Messi got his nation over the line as Argentina lifted the World Cup for the third time in Qatar in 2022.
During his 12 years in the Vatican, the Pope was more than happy to welcome some of the sport’s biggest stars into his home.
He greeted Pep Guardiola during a private audience with his Bayern Munich team in 2014, and Germany’s players – including Thomas Muller – visited him in 2016, two years after winning the World Cup.
As he spent a considerable part of his life in Italy, it is no surprise that the Pope also rubbed shoulders with some of the nation’s greatest footballers.
He welcomed ex-Man City striker Mario Balotelli to the Vatican in 2013, and was happy to pose for photos with Buffon and Andrea Pirlo when the pair visited him a year later.
The Pope spent a considerable amount of time in Italy, and met some of the nation’s biggest stars, including Mario Balotelli
He was happy to pose for photos with Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo, who won the World Cup together in 2006
Buffon, who was known for his safe hands, was ecstatic when he handed over a signed ball to the Pope
The Pope received a personalised shirt from another Italian icon, Alessandro Del Piero, in 2014
The Pope also rubbed shoulders with Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho as he supported a charity event in 2022
He was on hand to watch a Children’s Day event in Rome last year, shortly before he was taken unwell
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers presented the Pope with a signed club shirt when he visited him in 2023
Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis gave the Pope a signed shirt when he got the chance to meet him in 2023
The Pope saw the fun side of football, and played a game of table football back in 2021
He guided the ship at the Vatican for 12 years, and was given a captain’s armband when he attended the Clericus Cup in 2019
He also got presented with a ball at the match at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican
The Pope was also gifted a shirt that read ‘Papa Francesco’ by Juventus icon Alessandro Del Piero.
Charity work was also close to the Pope’s heart, and this led to him receiving a special shirt with his name on it from Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho ahead of a match to raise funds in 2022.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers then handed him a shirt signed by all the players in 2023, with the Pope more than happy to take it as he embraced football until his dying day.
Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis presented him with a club shirt in the same year, but it did not change the Pope’s loyalties. It was always San Lorenzo that had his heart.
Football has lost a special fan, but the photos of the Pope enjoying the sport will live on forever.
