With the 2026 World Cup now underway, millions of people are united in love of one thing: soccer.
Among those fans is Pope Leo XIV, who, since the beginning of his pontificate, has made it clear that sport holds a special place in his heart.
To mark the start of the World Cup, the Pope posted the following on social media:
The World Cup begins tomorrow, and many will watch the matches. Soccer reminds us of something we must not forget: life is not a race to show off on our own, but a path we learn to walk together. Anyone who does not know how to pass the ball, even if they have talent, has not yet understood the game. Anyone who does not know how to live with and for others has not yet understood life.
In recent weeks, Pope Leo has shown his soccer-loving side. During the outbound flight of his apostolic journey to Spain, journalists asked him about the age-old rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona. His answer quickly went viral:
POPE LEO XIV
The pope is for all teams but Prevost is for Real Madrid.
On the flight, Pope Leo admitted that he wasn’t sure how many matches he would be able to watch, but that he would be supporting the United States, his home country, since Peru had failed to qualify.
Although some time ago, in his first interview as Pope, he had already confessed that, should the two countries ever come into conflict, he would likely side with Peru, where he spent almost forty years as a missionary and bishop.
Scenario: the United States is playing Peru in the World Cup. Who do you cheer for?
Good question. Probably Peru.
It’s no coincidence. It was during his time in Peru that he truly came to appreciate the passion football inspires. There, he experienced the sport as a force that brings families, neighborhoods, and communities together.
POPE LEO XIV
Everyone knows I play tennis now. I used to play football as a young man, but American football is a little more violent, but I also played futbol with the seminarians when I was in Trujillo. I was a defender, in case you want to know. I wasn’t much of a goalscorer. When I was first in Rome, I had my first World Cup experience in 1982, which was held here in Spain. Later, in Peru, with the seminarians, I followed the local teams closely, but I also played with the seminarians.
His passion for sport doesn’t end here. Even before he was elected Pope, he was known for his love of tennis and even for following American baseball; now, with the World Cup as a backdrop, Leo XIV is once again showing that, for him, the world of sports matters.
