Wojciech Rogacin – Vatican
The Pope was asked if he liked football by six-year-old Renzo from Barcelona, during a meeting with people involved in charitable activities in Barcelona.
First World Cup – in Spain
“As for the question about football, everyone knows that I now play tennis and I like it very much. As a young man, I played football, but American football, a bit more aggressive,” the Holy Father confessed. “However, I value football,” he added.
Pope Prevost added that he also played football with seminarians when he was in Trujillo. “I played in defense, if you want to know. I wasn’t a great goal scorer,” he admitted.
He recalled that this year’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States begins on June 10, 2026, and he himself first experienced the football World Cup in 1982, when he was in Rome. The championship was then played in Spain.
In life, as in football, it’s about teamwork
According to Leo XIV, life lessons can be drawn from playing football. “Well, football helps us remember something very important: that life is not a race lived in solitude, but a team game, and you have to learn to run together,” said Leo XIV. He added that someone can be a star, but if they never pass the ball, they don’t let others into the game and will probably lose.
The Pope also said that during his episcopal ministry in Peru, he liked to follow the results of some local teams, and now, as Pope, he has also received football clubs and sports teams.
He who cannot live for others has not understood life
“Sport is important because it helps to grow in health of body and mind,” he added. He stated that in life – as in football – it is not about shining alone, but about learning to travel the path together. “He who cannot pass the ball, no matter how talented, has not yet understood the game. And he who cannot live with others and for others, has not yet understood life,” he concluded.
