Sports world mourns soccer-loving Pope Francis with games in Italy, Argentina postponed

Andrew Dampf · The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 21, 2025 2:04 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Top-flight shot matches successful Italy and Argentina were postponed aft the decease of Pope Francis connected Monday.

The Buenos Aires nine that the Argentine pontiff supported passim his beingness was besides mourning its astir celebrated fan.

The wider shot and sports satellite paid homage aft Francis died astatine 88.

All sports events scheduled for Easter Monday successful Italy were postponed, including 4 Serie A games: Torino vs. Udinese, Cagliari vs. Fiorentina, Genoa vs. Lazio and Parma vs. Juventus. The games volition present beryllium played connected Wednesday.

Likewise, 3 top-flight games successful Argentina were postponed from Monday to Tuesday: Tigre vs. Belgrano, Argentinos Juniors vs. Barracas Central and Independiente Rivadavia vs. Aldosivi. The games volition beryllium preceded by a infinitesimal of soundlessness to mourn Francis, who was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires earlier being elected pope.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said helium was "deeply saddened" implicit the Pope's death.

"I was privileged capable to walk immoderate clip with him connected a mates of occasions, and helium ever shared his enthusiasm for shot and stressed the important relation our athletics plays successful society," Infantino said connected Instagram. "All the prayers of the full shot satellite are with him."

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said "we are losing a large person and protagonist of the Olympic movement." Bach added that Francis' "support for the bid and solidarity ngo of the Olympic Games and the galore exile initiatives of the IOC has been unwavering."

WATCH | Pope Francis dormant astatine 88:

Francis's passionateness for shot became known astir instantly aft helium was elected arsenic the archetypal pope from Latin America successful 2013 erstwhile the Argentine nine San Lorenzo tweeted a photograph of him holding up the team's crest. He was adjacent a card-carrying subordinate of the club, with San Lorenzo ID No. 88,235.

San Lorenzo is nicknamed "the Saints."

"He was ever 1 of us," San Lorenzo said successful tribute connected Instagram, remembering however Francis watched its 1946 title squad arsenic a boy.

San Lorenzo performed good aft Francis was elected arsenic the 266th pope successful March 2013. The squad won a nationalist rubric successful 2013 and claimed the Copa Libertadores for the archetypal clip a twelvemonth later. Club officials traveled doubly to the Vatican carrying trophies to convey Francis for his support.

A planned caller San Lorenzo stadium is to beryllium named for Francis.

In Italy, determination were besides suggestions that Francis supported Juventus since his household came from the Piedmont portion wherever the Turin nine is based. Francis' father, Mario Bergoglio, was a hoops player.

Pope and Maradona

Francis met countryman Diego Maradona doubly arsenic pope. There was a peculiar assemblage successful transportation with a foundation shot lucifer successful 2014 erstwhile Maradona presented the pontiff with a shot jersey, emblazoned with the sanction "Francisco" — Spanish for Francis — and Maradona's No. 10.

"We each present recognize he's a [star]" Maradona said aft different gathering successful 2015. "I'm Francis's apical fan."

When Maradona died successful 2020, Francis remembered the shot large successful his prayers.

"A different, approachable, Argentine pope," Lionel Messi, different Argentina shot great, said connected Instagram. "Thank you for making the satellite a amended place. We volition miss you."

WATCH | Pope Francis made his last nationalist quality connected Easter Sunday

Record 15-time European shot champion Real Madrid besides mourned Francis successful a connection connected Instagram.

During a gathering with the Argentina and Italy nationalist teams soon aft helium was elected, Francis noted the power of athletes, particularly connected youth, and told the players to retrieve that, "for amended oregon worse" they were relation models. "Dear players, you are precise popular. People travel you, and not conscionable connected the tract but besides disconnected it," helium said. "That's a societal responsibility."

Francis often hailed sports arsenic a mode to beforehand solidarity and inclusion, particularly for young people.

At a planetary league connected religion and athletics successful 2016, Francis implored leaders to bash a amended occupation of keeping corruption disconnected the playing tract and said sports indispensable beryllium protected from manipulations and commercialized abuse.

"Francis was a peculiar pope, capable to illuminate successful his clip similar lone the top can," Gianluigi Buffon, the erstwhile Italy skipper who met the pope galore times, said connected Instagram. "He showed america the mode with large courageousness and moved our souls. I volition transportation his illustration everlastingly successful my heart."