Pope Francis’ passing leaves international soccer world in mourning

Dublin, Ireland, Apr 28, 2025 / 10:39 am (CNA).

Among the tens of thousands of mourners paying their respects before the coffin of Pope Francis last week was Gianluigi Buffon, the Italian World Cup-winning goalkeeper. A visibly emotional Buffon was accompanied by Gabriele Gravina, president of Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) (Italian Football Federation), as well as the Lazio squad and coaching staff. (Società Sportiva Lazio is an Italian professional sports club based in Rome.)

Pope Francis was a lifelong soccer fan and his passing was felt perhaps most acutely among fans of the San Lorenzo club in Buenos Aires, a team he followed since childhood. During their match on Saturday, the club paid tribute to their most famous fan. San Lorenzo players wore a patch on their shirts with an image of Pope Francis smiling and wearing his papal robes, accompanied by the phrase “Together for Eternity.”

“The pope leaves an unbreakable legacy,” San Lorenzo Club president Marcelo Moretti told Reuters. “For all San Lorenzo fans, he was a source of great pride. It is a very sad day.” Moretti had recently met Pope Francis and gained his assent for the club’s new stadium to be named after him.  

The late pope’s membership number at San Lorenzo was 88235, and the club’s faithful have pointed out the uncanny symbolism of the number given to Jorge Mario Bergoglio when he became a member and Francis’ age and time of death.

“He died at 88 years old, at 2:35 a.m. (Buenos Aires time) and was member 88235,” observed a San Lorenzo fan on X.

When San Lorenzo eventually won the coveted Copa Libertadores in 2014, the team had a replica of the trophy to present to a jubilant Pope Francis in Rome.

During his pontificate, Pope Francis welcomed many professional soccer players to the Vatican, including Argentine World Cup winner Diego Maradona, who credited the pope with reintroducing him to his faith. He also welcomed Lionel Messi and spoke openly of his admiration for Pelé. 

Following Francis’ death on Easter Monday, there were a number of notable expressions of sympathy and respect from football stadiums across the world.

In Milan, the derby between Internazionale and AC Milan was marked by a minute of respect when both teams lined up to applause and the stadium’s public address system played Ennio Morricone’s theme “Gabriel’s Oboe” from “The Mission” — a film about early Jesuit missionaries to Latin America.

In Scotland, a match between soon-to-be crowned champions Glasgow Celtic and Dundee United was preceeded by an immaculately observed minute of silence by both sets of fans. Both clubs trace their origins back to their respective cities’ Catholic communities. 

Dundee United F.C. was originally founded as Dundee Hibernian in 1909, having a strong connection to the Irish Catholic community in Dundee. The club was formed to provide opportunities for young Irish Catholic immigrants.

Glasgow Celtic, British soccer’s first winners of the European Cup in 1967 were formed by an Irish Catholic priest Brother Walfrid. The Catholic faith is indelibly associated with the club, and this was underscored by their official visit to meet Pope Francis in November 2023. The club was in Rome for a champions league match.

In his official welcome, Pope Francis pointed to Celtic’s origins among poor Irish immigrants to Glasgow, touching on themes that resonated throughout his papacy. Flagging the importance of the identity of the club on and off the field he said: “The valued legacy of your club places a heavy responsibility on your shoulders to be good role models especially for young people.”

The world of soccer has shown respect for the papacy throughout the years, especially in times of mourning. In April 2005, a game between Polish clubs Lech Poznan and MKS Pogon Szczecin came to an unscheduled halt after 38 minutes when supporters began to chant for the match to be stopped and one fan ran on to the field to instruct the referee to stop the game. Players gathered to pray in the center circle and 15,000 supporters sang the national anthem. People cried. A television channel had mistakenly reported the death of Pope John Paul II and news had spread among supporters. 

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/263711/pope-s-passing-leaves-international-soccer-world-in-mourning