The Pope’s World Cup Post Had One Word in It That Upset the Internet
The leader of more than 1.4 billion Catholics just ignited an international crisis, and no, it has nothing to do with doctrine.
Pope Leo XIV took to X ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 to share a message about unity, compassion, and the beauty of the beautiful game. It was heartfelt. It was eloquent. And buried right inside it was a single word that sent the entire internet into a full-on meltdown: “soccer.” Yes, not football. Soccer.
The Holy Post Heard ‘Round the World
During a meeting with charity workers at the Church of Sant Agustí in Barcelona, Pope Leo responded to a question about whether he liked soccer by drawing a parallel between the sport and life itself. He then took the message to X, writing:
“The World Cup begins tomorrow, and many will watch the matches. Soccer reminds us of something we must not forget: life is not a race to show off on our own, but a path we learn to walk together. Anyone who does not know how to pass the ball, even if they have talent, has not yet understood the game. Anyone who does not know how to live with and for others has not yet understood life.”
Beautiful, right? Genuinely moving stuff. The only thing anyone could focus on was that he said “soccer.”
The replies exploded. Fans from every corner of the globe piled in, collectively short-circuiting over the pontiff’s word choice. One user delivered the straightforward verdict: “Only Americans call it soccer. The entire world calls it football.” Another went full history lesson: “It started in the UK and it’s called football.” A third person, fighting every instinct in their body, wrote: “I didn’t intend to correct the Pope… but it’s football. Not soccer.”
A Chicago Man Doing Chicago Things
Here is the thing you have to understand about Pope Leo XIV: before he was the 267th leader of the Catholic Church, he was Robert Prevost, a Chicago native whose White Sox fandom came to light almost immediately after his election, including footage that surfaced of him attending Game 1 of the 2005 World Series at U.S. Cellular Field.
Born Robert Prevost in the Chicago suburbs, Pope Leo XIV also holds Peruvian citizenship after decades of service as a missionary and bishop in Peru before becoming Pope. He is genuinely a man of the world in every sense, but his American roots have a way of peeking through at the most delightful moments.
He even weighed in on one of the most heated rivalries in club soccer on the papal plane to Spain, saying “the Pope is for all teams, but Prevost is for Real Madrid.” The dual identity is real and endlessly entertaining.
Papal Decree It’s Soccer Now
Back on X, the discourse was reaching peak chaos. Some users were outraged. Others were thrilled. American fans treated the whole thing like a papal endorsement of their preferred terminology, which, technically, it was.
One person took the logical leap everyone was thinking: “The pope called it soccer, so it’s soccer.” Another went full institutional: it was now “the official position of the Catholic Church that the sport is called Soccer.”
A third just delivered the decree flat: “By official papal decree, it’s called soccer.” And then there was the person who summed up the mood of most of the non-American world in five words: “Maybe an American pope was a mistake.”
The pushback from American fans was equally unhinged, in the best possible way. One user posted simply: “Calling it ‘football’ is now a sin, btw.” Another, with barely concealed glee: “He’s a proper American.”
The Pope Is a Sports Guy, and It’s the Best Thing Happening Right Now
What makes this whole saga so delightful is that Pope Leo has been quietly and consistently revealing his sports-fan self since day one of his papacy. New York Knicks superfan Spike Lee wore a signed Pope Leo jersey to Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Leo is a graduate of Villanova University, which is also the alma mater of three Knicks stars: Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges. The man has range.
As for the World Cup itself, Pope Leo told a journalist aboard the papal flight: “I would certainly support the U.S. I don’t know how many games I’ll be able to see, but I wish them all the best.” The United States will begin its Group D campaign against Paraguay, Australia, and Turkiye.
As Pontiff, he is supposed to be neutral on sporting events. But he has never been shy about letting Robert Prevost slip through when the moment calls for it.
The soccer vs. football debate has been going on for decades and will outlast every single one of us. But this week, for one brief and chaotic moment, the Pope of the Catholic Church accidentally reignited it in front of the entire planet, and the internet handled it with exactly the restraint you’d expect. Which is to say: absolutely none at all.
Whether you call it soccer or football, one thing is clear: the world is watching, the Pope is rooting for the USMNT, and somewhere deep in Chicago, Robert Prevost is perfectly fine with how all of this turned out.
