Ahead of World Cup kickoff, pope says life is 'played as a team'

"Football also helps us remember something very important: life is not a race, nor is it meant to be lived in solitude," he said at an event in Barcelona.

"It is something played as a team, and we must learn to run together. In that sense, one may be a star, but if he never passes the ball, he prevents others from entering the game and will probably lose," he said.

The comments came in response to a question from a six-year-old boy who asked whether the pope liked football.

The 70-year-old Leo XIV said he prefers tennis, which he still plays regularly, but also enjoys football.

He recalled playing the sport with seminarians when he lived in Peru, saying he mainly played in defence and was "not a great goal scorer".

The US-born pope told reporters on the flight to Spain that he would "certainly support" his country at the World Cup which starts on Thursday.

But he admitted "I am not sure how many games I will (be) able to see".

The United States is one of the three co-hosting countries of the 2026 World Cup, alongside Mexico and Canada.

The tournament is scheduled to kick off on Thursday in Mexico City with the final slated for July 19.