Pope Leo XIV has publicly revealed his football preference during the flight that took him from Rome to Madrid. A few minutes after landing in the capital of Spain, A journalist asked him one of the most recurring questions among fans of the beautiful game in Spain: whether he is a fan of Real Madrid or Barcelona.
Far from dodging the question, the pontiff responded with a mix of diplomacy and a sense of humor. “That’s easy. The Pope is from all the teams… but Robert Prevost is from Real Madrid“, he stated, referring to himself by his birth name, Robert Prevost. With this response, Leo XIV wanted to distinguish between the neutrality required by his status as head of the Catholic Church and his personal preferences as a fan.
The confession did not go unnoticed and had a rapid impact in the sports field. The president of Real Madrid, Florentino Perezechoed the words of the pontiff during the closing speech of his electoral campaign prior to the club’s presidential elections. “I would like to welcome Leo XIV to Spain. Today he said on the plane that he is from Real Madrid and that is a source of pride for us. Welcome, Holiness“he declared.
Until now, the Pope had barely spoken about football in public. In fact, when he was elected pontiff in May of last year, he acknowledged that his greatest sporting interests are more related to tennis than football.“I consider myself an amateur tennis player. Since I left Peru I have had few opportunities to practice it, so I really want to get back on the track“, he explained then. He also highlighted his interest in reading, traveling, walks and contact with nature.
His passion for tennis was evident shortly after his election, when he received the current world number 1, Jannik Sinner, at the Vatican. During the meeting, the athlete gave him a racket and starred in a relaxed scene with the pontiff. After congratulating him on a recent victory, Jannik Sinner invited him to exchange some blows with the ball, to which Leo XIV responded with a laugh: “No, everything breaks here, maybe next time“.
With a single sentence, the Pope has managed to solve a mystery that aroused curiosity among many Spanish fans. and, at the same time, demonstrate that even the most demanding questions can be answered with elegance and a smile.