Pope Leo XIV welcomed the 2025 Italian soccer league champions: the players of Napoli.
He began with a joke, saying that despite what the press claims about him being a Roma supporter, he warmly welcomed and congratulated the team.
But beyond soccer, the Pope emphasized the importance of teamwork and the example that athletes can set for society.
POPE LEO XIV
Winning the championship is a goal achieved after a long journey, where what truly matters is not a single heroic moment or the extraordinary performance of just one star. We must pay close attention to the moral quality of the sports experience at a competitive level, because the human development of young people is at stake.
And the club president couldn’t leave without making a symbolic “signing.” He gifted Pope Leo XIV a Napoli jersey, officially welcoming him as a new member of the team.
—This is for you.
—Thank you.
—Pope Leo XIV, with the signature of everyone—you're number 10, which makes you a great forward.
—Thank you.
—Let’s take a good photo.
It was an emotional moment, especially because no Napoli player wears the number 10 as it’s forever linked to the iconic player Diego Maradona. But for now, the one person allowed to wear that symbolic number is Pope Leo XIV.
BAM
Trans. CRT
