Lionel Messi paid tribute to Pope Francis, who died Monday at 88 years old, with a post on social media honoring the soccer-loving leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Messi thanked the Pope Francis for ‘making the world a better place,’ while noting his Argentine roots and distinguished tenure. The message was shared alongside a 2013 photo of Messi meeting the Pope before a friendly between Argentina and Italy in Rome. Messi gave the Pope an olive tree during the visit.
Messi — who is from Rosario, Argentina — led Argentina to its third World Cup victory in Qatar in 2022. He currently plays with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer in the United States.
Francis — born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrant parents in 1936 — was elected as pope in 2013. He was the first pope from the Americas and the first born outside of Europe in over a millennia.