The meeting between the pope and the Sampdoria soccer team from Genova, kicked off with this touching moment with one of the president's kids.
Claudio Ranieri, who went down in history for turning Leicester into the champion in England in 2016, couldn't contain his joy.
“Father, good morning. I train these guys. I bring you my greetings, our greetings. We are very happy.”
Pope Francis reflected on what sports can offer people. He said sports can help the person grow and reach unimaginable heights.
POPE FRANCIS
“It's a path of life, maturity and holiness. You can move forward, but never alone. Always with the team. Always with the team.
In Argentina, we say that the soccer player who plays for himself 'eats' the ball.”
They met on the eve of a match between Sampdoria and Lazio, one of Rome's teams. Pope Francis met with the latter a few years ago.
Time will tell which team will most benefit from the pope's blessing.
Javier Romero
Translation: CT