After Italy, Argentina also postpones football matches after death of Pope Francis

After Italy, Argentina also postpones football matches after death of Pope Francis

Italy’s top-flight football league Serie A has postponed all of Monday’s fixtures following the death of Pope Francis.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church and a lifelong football fan has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday. He was 88, and had survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.

“Following the passing of His Holiness, Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A can confirm that today’s league games in Serie A and Primavera 1 have been postponed,” the league said in a statement.

“The date of the rearranged fixtures will be announced in due course.” 

Argentina’s football association also postponed all fixtures on Monday to mourn Pope Francis, an ardent fan of the game and supporter of Buenos Aires’ San Lorenzo team.

“Argentine football says goodbye to you wrapped in deep sorrow,” the Argentine Football Association said of the decision to delay games in his homeland by a day.

A minute’s silence will be held at matches this week.

Born in Buenos Aires in 1936, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church died on Monday aged 88.

“Francis was not only a spiritual reference, but also a footballing one, and met with players, leaders and football legends, such as the captain of the Argentine national team Lionel Messi and Diego Armando Maradona,” the association said.

“He never hid his passion for football and his unconditional love for San Lorenzo de Almagro,” it added.

In a memoir, Francis spoke of Maradona’s controversial “Hand of God” goal in Argentina’s 1986 World Cup soccer quarter-final against England. When Maradona visited him at the Vatican years later, “I asked him, jokingly, ‘So, which is the guilty hand?’” the pope recalled.

Published on Apr 21, 2025