Pope Leon XIV gave an unexpected response when he was asked whom he would support if the United States and Peru faced each other in a World Cup: "Probably Peru," the pontiff said without hesitation, according to a video shared by Christopher Hale.
Hale, author of the newsletter Letters from Leo about the papacy of Leo XIV, published the brief recording with the text: "Pope Leo XIV was asked whom he would support between the United States and Peru in the World Cup. His response? 'Probably Peru'."
The statement has a direct biographical explanation.
León XIV is Robert Francis Prevost, born in Chicago in 1955 and the first American pope in history, elected as the 267th pontiff on May 8, 2025.
But he is also a Peruvian citizen by naturalization, after more than three decades of mission work in the Andean country as an Augustinian religious.
Prevost served as the Bishop of Chiclayo from 2014 to 2023, Apostolic Administrator of Callao, and was a member of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference.
His Latin American roots became evident from the very first day of his papacy: in his first public appearance from the balcony of St. Peter's, he included a special greeting in Spanish directed at Peru.
On January 31, during a party in the Vatican gardens, Peru formally invited the pontiff to visit the country.
According to reports from January 2026, León XIV plans to travel to Latin America in 2026 or 2027, including Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru.
The irony of the moment is considerable: Peru did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Peruvian national team finished ninth — second to last — in the Conmebol qualifiers with only 12 points in 18 matches, just six goals scored and 21 conceded, marking its worst campaign since adopting the current format.
The scenario presented to the pope is, in practice, impossible.
León XIV's response, however, accurately reflects his dual identity.
Moreover, in recent months both personalities have been at the center of a significant controversy.
Trump published an extensive and aggressive message on his social network Truth Social against Pope Leo XIV, calling him "weak in crime" and "terrible in foreign policy" amid escalating tensions between the White House and the Vatican.
The attack came after weeks of tensions between the two, which intensified when the Pope described Trump's threat to destroy Iran if they did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as "unacceptable." This occurred shortly after the private meeting that the pontiff held on April 9 with David Axelrod, the Democratic strategist and former advisor to Barack Obama.
Pope Leo XIV attempted to ease tensions with President Donald Trump by stating that there is a narrative that has not been accurate in all its aspects and that he has no interest in debating with the American leader.
The pontiff made these statements during his 11-day apostolic tour of four African countries —Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea— which began on April 13, amid a public confrontation that has captured international attention.
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