Pope Francis and his love of the 'most beautiful game'

As an Argentinian, it is no surprise that Pope Francis is a big soccer fan. Like many boys growing up in the land of tango, he even played soccer as a child. The Pope has said that he kicked a ball made of old rags around the streets of Buenos Aires.

Alfredo Di Stefano, the Argentine football legend and five-time European champion with Real, also said that he "probably played football with the Pope in the streets, because matches were regularly held from morning until night for all ages".

However, with humility, the Pope revealed that he "was not the best player so he was pushed down to be a goalkeeper". "This position is a good way to train to deal with dangers coming from all directions", the Pope shared.

Diego Maradona during his audience with Pope Francis in 2014.

During his younger years, the Pope often accompanied his father to matches of the local team San Lorenzo. He was a loyal fan and was delighted to receive a shirt from the club in 2013, when he became Pope.

In that capacity, he met many football stars. The most famous of them was Diego Maradona. In a conversation in 2014, he joked, "So which hand is guilty?", because Maradona still called his hand goal against England at the 1986 World Cup "the hand of God".

According to France24, Pope Francis was so sad when Argentina lost to West Germany in the 1990 World Cup final in Italy that he stopped watching football on TV. Later, he would update San Lorenzo's team on the progress of the team through the Vatican guards, who would leave the results and standings on his desk in the morning.

Also to avoid unnecessary controversy, the Pope always maintains an objective view before making assessments. Once, when asked about who is the greatest player of all time, he said it depends on each person's feelings.

The Pope at a match held in Rome on Children's Day.

"On the football side, Maradona was a great player. But on the human side, he failed," the Pope said, recalling the Golden Boy's scandals. He also blessed Cristiano Ronaldo's shirt, praised Lionel Messi as a "gentleman", and described Pele as a "great personality".

In a statement in 2019, the Pope declared that "football is the most beautiful sport in the world." He also sees football as a way to create peace and education. In 2014, the Olympic Stadium in Rome hosted a match for peace on his initiative.

The Pope also expressed concern about the development of football in the age of media and commercialism. He reminded players of their "social responsibility". "The goal in football is to put the collective good first, above individual interests. We are serving something greater than ourselves and above all else," Pope Francis stressed.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/duc-giao-hoang-francis-va-tinh-yeu-voi-tro-choi-dep-nhat-post1735808.tpo