The Pope supports AS Roma and fans think he’s also a lookalike of their manager Claudio Ranieri.
Pope Leo XIV has been living in the Italian capital for two years.
And he’s become a fan of the Rome-based club.
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Ex-Leicester gaffer Ranieri – who guided the Foxes to the Premier League title in 2016 – is currently at the helm.
Papal predecessor Pope Francis died on 21 April with Pope Leo being elected on 8 May.
Roma beat Fiorentina four days earlier which was dubbed the “first miracle” after the former’s death.
Pope Leo – aka Robert Prevost – was filmed shaking a man’s hand through a car window while chuckling: “Forza Roma!”
Football supporters spotted the likeness between him and Ranieri.
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Les joked: “I’ve never ever seen them in the same place at the same time.”
And Thomas quipped: “That’s why Leicester won the league.”
Prevost, whose paternal grandfather was Italian, was ordained a priest in Rome in 1982.
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He later earned a doctor of canon law degree at the capital’s Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
He permanently moved to the Eternal City in 2023 and was made a cardinal later that year.
The 69-year-old is fluent in La Dolce Lingua, as well as Spanish, French, and Portuguese, as reported by What’s The Jam.
But Prevost has not forgotten his roots and also supports the White Sox baseball team from his hometown of Chicago.
It is not clear when the new Pope began supporting Roma.
But he likely would have cheered on two former English players Tammy Abraham and Chris Smalling there.
And possibly even Ashley Cole who was on the coaching staff.
A spokesperson for the club said: “AS Roma joins in rejoicing with Rome and the world following the election of Pope Leo XIV.
“And wishes him all the very best for his papacy.”
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