The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid hosted a meeting of Pope Leo XIV on Monday. with the diocesan community of the Spanish capital. According to the organizers, more than 70,000 believers took part in the event. It was the second visit of the Pope to the home stadium of Real Madrid football after John Paul II visited it in 1982.
Upon his arrival, the Pope was welcomed by the re-elected president of Real Madrid, Florentino Perez, who told him presented a personalized jersey of the Madrid club with his own name Robert F. Prevost and the number 1, as well as a replica of the Bernabeu Stadium. Leo XIV. in return he gave him a commemorative medal. You can find the photo in the gallery.
“I suppose that for a footballer, scoring a goal in this stadium is a moment he will not forget for the rest of his life. But today the Church of Madrid has scored a goal for eternity,” the Pope said in his address to a packed stadium.
Fans of the “white ballet” are Leo XIV. already acquired during the trip to Madrid, when on board the papal plane he was asked by a journalist if he was a fan of Real or Barcelona. “That’s easy,” he replied. “The Pope supports all teams, but Prevost is for Real Madrid,” he added, referring to his birth name. The first pope from the USA did not forget to remind that he will keep his fingers crossed for his native country at the upcoming World Cup.
