Pope Francis and the Beautiful Game: When he called Maradona a 'failure' and Messi a 'gentleman'

Pope Francis died at the age of 88, leaving behind a legacy that blended faith, humility, and an enduring love for the beautiful game.

Pope Francis and Football: A Lifelong Passion Beyond the Pitch

While Pope Benedict XVI found solace in classical music, his successor, Pope Francis, always found joy in the rhythm of football — a sport he called "the most beautiful game", not only for its entertainment but for its power to educate, unify and promote peace.

Pope Francis passes away on Monday at the age of 88, leaving behind a legacy that blended faith, humility, and an enduring love for the beautiful game.

A Childhood Shaped by Street Football

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Francis often recalled playing football in the streets as a child. Without proper equipment, he and his friends used a ball made of rags. Though he confessed to being "not among the best" and jokingly said he "had two left feet", he usually played as goalkeeper — a position he said helped him learn to respond to “dangers that could arrive from anywhere”.

Lifelong Loyalty to San Lorenzo

His deep-rooted love for football was always tied to his beloved San Lorenzo club in Buenos Aires. As a boy, he attended matches with his father and brothers and never stopped supporting the team. "It was romantic football," he recalled. Even after ascending to the papacy, he remained a club member — a fact that caused a minor uproar when he accepted a membership card from rival club Boca Juniors during a Vatican educational partnership.

To keep up with the latest from his team, a member of the Vatican’s Swiss Guard would leave San Lorenzo's results and league standings on the pope’s desk.

Football and Faith Intertwined

Pope Francis regularly hosted football greats at the Vatican, including fellow Argentines Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, as well as global stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gianluigi Buffon. He has signed countless footballs and jerseys from all over the world.

But his affection for the game wasn’t just personal. “Many say that football is the most beautiful game in the world. I think so too,” he declared in 2019. For the Jesuit pope, football was a means to teach values and promote unity.

A Tool for Peace and Social Responsibility

Francis saw football as a way to inspire peace and solidarity, even amidst the corruption and excesses of the modern game. In 2014, he initiated an “inter-religious match” for peace at Rome’s Olympic stadium.

As early as 2013, he addressed the Italian and Argentine national teams, urging them to be aware of their "social responsibilities" and to reject the "excesses of business" football.

French Bishop Emmanuel Gobilliard, the Vatican delegate to the 2024 Paris Olympics, echoed this vision: “Whether you are an amateur or professional footballer, whether you like to watch it on television, it makes no difference: this sport is part of people’s lives… We are at the service of something greater than ourselves, which transcends us collectively and personally.”

From the Pitch to Pop Culture

Although Pope Francis stopped watching television in 1990 — the year West Germany beat Argentina in the World Cup final — football has remained a visible part of his papacy. The sport even inspired a fictional scene in Netflix’s The Two Popes, where he and Pope Benedict XVI watch the 2014 World Cup final between Germany and Argentina.

Interestingly, Francis has never spoken publicly about the 1978 World Cup hosted in Argentina during a dictatorship — a time when he served as a Jesuit provincial leader. However, in his 2024 autobiography, he dedicated a full chapter to Diego Maradona. Recalling a Vatican meeting, he said, “When, as pope, I received Maradona in the Vatican a few years ago... I asked him, jokingly, ‘So, which is the guilty hand?’”

A Humble Fan on the Global Stage

Despite his personal loyalty to San Lorenzo, Pope Francis never played favourites internationally. Ahead of the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, he called on the winners to celebrate “with humility”.

Asked who he believed was the greatest player of all time, he diplomatically replied: “Maradona, as a player, was great. But as a man, he failed,” referring to the star’s struggles with addiction. He described Lionel Messi as a “gentleman”, but ultimately gave his nod to another legend: “I would choose a third, Pele, a man of heart.”

Football as a Mirror of Life

For Pope Francis, football has always been more than just a game. It is a shared global language, a symbol of community and sacrifice, and a path to deeper values. His love for the sport reflects his broader belief in humility, service, and the power of unity — qualities he hopes the world, both on and off the pitch, will embrace.