Exchange of “tunics” between compatriots. Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi has received a signed shirt from Pope Francis after gifting him his own, the Vatican sports association announced on Monday. The Parisian striker received the jersey on Sunday from the hands of Mgr Emmanuel Gobilliard, auxiliary bishop of Lyon and delegate for the Holy See of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, announced in a press release from Athletica Vaticana.
“A man of faith, Messi told me how important this step was for him. We prayed together,” Bishop Gobilliard tweeted with a photo alongside the Argentine star holding the yellow jersey in his hands, and another alongside Brazilian Neymar.
“The exchange of shirts between the pope and the Argentine star is now complete,” adds Athletica Vaticana. In October, Prime Minister Jean Castex presented François with Messi’s autographed jersey, flocked with the number 30, in the colors of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
The Argentine sovereign pontiff had thanked and congratulated him for his “simplicity”. The pope is a big football fan and has been a supporter of the Buenos Aires club San Lorenzo since his childhood.
Messi and Jorge Bergoglio, elected pope in March 2013, met in August of the same year at the Vatican. In 2019, the man of the Church spoke about the gift of his compatriot. “He’s a god with the ball in the field. These are popular ways to express yourself. It’s nice to see how he plays. But it’s not God,” he said in an interview with Spanish channel La Sexta.