Real Madrid honors Pope Leo XIV with honorary membership
Real Madrid announced this Thursday (11) the appointment of Pope Leo XIV as an honorary member of the institution, the highest distinction granted by the Spanish club. The decision was approved by the Board of Directors chaired by Florentino Pérez.
According to a statement released by the club, the tribute represents recognition of the global importance of the pontiff, described by Real Madrid as a figure capable of promoting values such as peace, solidarity and justice for billions of people around the world.
The decision comes a few days after Leo XIV's visit to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid. The meeting brought together thousands of faithful and included commitments on the Vatican's agenda in the Spanish capital.
In an official statement, the club highlighted that the Pope's visit to the stadium will be marked in the history of the institution.
"Real Madrid thus demonstrates its admiration and recognition for a universal figure who represents billions of people and who promotes peace, solidarity and justice in the world. His visit to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium on June 8, 2026 was an honor for Real Madrid and will forever remain one of the most moving images in our history," said the statement.
During the event at the Bernabéu, the pontiff made a comparison between football and religion when commenting on the presence of around 70 thousand people in the stadium.
"I imagine that, for a football player, scoring a goal in this stadium is something that marks his life. But, Dom José, today the Church of Madrid scored a great goal for all time", declared Leo XIV.
Atlético's game on the net
The tribute comes in the middle of a busy week in Spanish football. Real Madrid was also in the news after presenting a proposal of 150 million euros (around R$900 million) for Argentine striker Julián Álvarez, currently at Atlético de Madrid.
The offer was rejected by the Madrid rival, who took advantage of the situation to mock Real Madrid on social media. In a publication, Atlético suggested that the Merengue club had omitted an excerpt from a video in which the Pope claimed to support the Rojiblanca team.
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Source: CNN