Pope Francis: Argentine who adored Brazilian Pele more than Maradona, Messi

It is no secret that Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, who died aged 88 in the Vatican on Monday, was an ardent football fan. From supporting his boyhood club, San Lorenzo, to granting audiences to the football world's who's who, the Pope remained connected to the beautiful game throughout.

As an Argentine, passion for football should have come naturally to Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the name his parents gave him. Like most Argentinians, Pope Francis supported their national football team. But he reportedly did not watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.

That was because of a habit he had developed since the 1990 World Cup final, in which Argentina lost to West Germany. But he must have felt proud when the brilliant Lionel Messi lifted Argentina's third World Cup title in Qatar.

Though he was a fan of Argentine football, the Pope harboured no enmity toward Brazil, their bitter footballing rivals. This was evident from his response to a question about who the best footballer of all time was.

Usually, an Argentine's options are narrowed down to two — Diego Maradona and Messi, two geniuses who dominated the global game in different eras. But Francis added a third option — Brazilian Pele.

The Pope admired all three; "Messi is very good at the moment," he said. The Pope also regarded Maradona in high esteem but knew the late star had "failed" as a man. The inference was to Maradona's infamous battles with drug and alcohol addiction.

"Messi is very correct and a gentleman, but among the three, the biggest gentleman is Pele," the Pope said. He remembered meeting Pele on a plane in Buenos Aires and moved by his "great humanity". "He is a man with a very big heart," the Pope said.

Pele, who won three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970), died on December 29, 2022, at 82. Maradona, Argentina's 1986 World Cup hero, died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60.