On board the papal plane flying from Rome to Madrid on June 7, journalists posed a question to Leo XIV that would have seemed uncomfortable to any other pontiff: "Real Madrid or Barcelona?" The answer came without hesitation.
"The Pope is for all teams. But Prevost is for Real Madrid!"
Leo XIV on board the papal plane, June 7, 2026
The remark is brief but precise in its construction: the pontiff publicly divided himself into two persons. The institution is neutral, the man is not. He applied this same formula to the World Cup as well.
Peru didn't make it — and the blessing went to the USA
Robert Prevost was born in a suburb of Chicago, served for decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru, and holds Peruvian citizenship. Just a year ago, he openly said that at any match between the USA and Peru, he would support the Peruvians. Peru failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup — and papal support by default shifted to the American national team.
"Of course, I will support the USA. I don't know how many matches I'll be able to watch, but I wish them all the best," Leo XIV is quoted as saying by Reuters. The USA starts in Group D against Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey — the tournament opens on June 11.
Madrid: Real Madrid's stadium as a venue for youth
The admission of sympathy for Real Madrid was not accidental: Leo XIV flew to Spain for a six-week visit whose program includes 21 events in four cities — Madrid, Barcelona with Montserrat, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife. A meeting with young people from the Madrid diocese is planned at the Bernabéu, and a youth prayer vigil was held at Lima Square.
The irony of context: the pope, who had just supported Real Madrid, met the next day with sports figures at Madrid's Palace of Sports — already within the official protocol, where "Prevost" once again gave way to "Leo XIV."
Why this is more than just a curiosity
Over twenty years of service in Peru, Prevost formed an identity that doesn't fit into the American papal narrative actively promoted by the media since his election. His football loyalty is a small but precise indicator of this rupture: he is American by passport and origin, Latin American by experience and citizenship, and now forced to choose between them even in everyday matters.
If the USA advances from the group and faces a Latin American team in the playoffs — for example, Argentina or Brazil — it will become clear how far papal neutrality extends and where Prevost begins.
