Pope Leo XIV has received Napoli, the Serie A Champions to his residence 

Pope Leo XIV warmly welcomed Italian Serie A champions Napoli to the Vatican, playfully addressing rumours about his soccer allegiances.

Napoli recently secured their fourth “Scudetto” title with a 2-0 win over Cagliari, narrowly edging out Inter Milan by one point.

The Pope lightheartedly mentioned, “The press says I’m an AS Roma fan, but you are welcome! This is what the press says. Not everything you read in the press is true.”

Napoli’s chairman, Aurelio De Laurentiis, gifted him a signed blue Napoli jersey with the number 10 and “Papa Leone XIV” inscribed on it. De Laurentiis jokingly referred to the Pope as a great striker due to the number 10 jersey, to which Pope Leo responded with a chuckle and a simple “thank you”.

During the meeting, Coach Antonio Conte was introduced as “deeply Catholic” and showed respect by kneeling down to kiss the Pope’s hand.

Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and sports’ educational value, particularly for young people. He noted that winning a championship is a result of a long journey where teamwork matters most, not just individual exploits.

The Pope concluded by offering his blessings and congratulations to the players and club officials, even extending greetings on behalf of his personal cook, who is from Naples and a big fan of the team.