Pope Leo XIV left one of the most talked about images of his arrival in Spain by humorously responding to a question that for days had generated curiosity among fans and the media.
During the flight that took him to Madrid to begin a seven-day official visit, a journalist asked him if he was a Real Madrid or Barcelona fan. The pontiff’s response caused smiles among those present.
“That’s easy. The Pope belongs to all the teams, but Prevost belongs to Real Madrid,” Leo XIV responded, referring to his last name and differentiating between his role as leader of the Catholic Church and his personal preferences.
Real Madrid responds on social networks
The pontiff’s statements did not take long to reach social networks, where Real Madrid reacted immediately.
The white club published a message on its official X account accompanied by a video with the words of León XIV. “The Pope is from Real Madrid. Welcome, León XIV!” wrote the Madrid entity, generating thousands of reactions among fans from all over the world.
The post quickly went viral and fueled conversations about the Catholic Church leader’s unexpected football confession.
He also talked about the 2026 World Cup
León XIV, who has American and Peruvian nationality, was also consulted about the 2026 World Cup that will begin next week in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“I will certainly support the United States, although I am not sure how many games I will be able to see,” the pontiff commented.
Peru, one of the countries with which it maintains a strong personal bond, failed to qualify for the World Cup event.
A historic visit to Spain
Leo XIV’s trip will include activities in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands. This is one of the most important pastoral visits of his pontificate and will feature numerous mass meetings.
One of the most anticipated events will take place next Monday at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, where the pontiff will lead a meeting with members of different dioceses of Madrid.
The choice of the Real Madrid stadium as the setting for one of the central events of the visit adds a special ingredient after the statements that confirmed Robert Prevost’s sympathy for the merengue team.
