Pope Francis doesn’t forget soccer: “Let those who win be humble”

Pope Francis does not forget soccer

Pope Francis, during a lengthy interview granted to Channel 5, also spoke about soccer. “To the winners everyone wishes,” he said, “May they live it with humility. And to the one who does not win, may they live it with joy because the greatest value is not to win or not to win, it is to play clean, to play well. Both of them let them have the courage to shake hands. When I see the end of a game where they don’t shake hands … We – I’m talking about the year ’46 – we used to go to the stadium every Sunday even with mom, dad, all together. And there the ugliest word you heard at the referee was ‘sold out,’ but then they would finish the game and shake hands. That savoir-faire of sports, right? Sports makes you more noble, makes you noble even if it’s done with a rag ball.”

“We have to grow the spirit of sportsmanship, and I hope that this World Cup will help to regain the spirit of sportsmanship, which makes you noble,” the pontiff added.

Argentina, as it is known, won the World Cup by beating France in the final.