Pope Francis is mourning all over the world after his death at the age of 88, in which football brings his own tribute to the Argentinian.
Just a few minutes after his death was confirmed on Monday morning, the Serie A of Italy confirmed that they had postponed all their games that were planned for Easter Monday as a sign of respect for the late Pope.
It is a suitable tribute for a man who worshiped 'The Beautiful Game'.
Coming from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Pope was a lifelong in favor of his local team, San Lorenzo, and he was delighted to receive a club shirt in 2013.
While he came to power, he also got the chance to meet some of the football heroes of his country.
They are not much larger than the large Diego Maradona, and the couple met in the Vatican in 2014, six years before the iconic football player died at the age of 60.
The Pope remembered Maradona in his prayers after his death and called him the “poet of football” after his incredible career that saw him lead to World Cup Glory in 1986.
If someone can match Maradona's performance on a football field, it is his countryman Lionel Messi who also had the chance to share the Pope's company.
In addition to goalkeeper legend Gianluigi Buffon, Messi and the Pope were exchanged gifts in 2013 and Messi would lead Argentina to the World Cup final the following year. Eight years later, Messi got his nation over the line when Argentina lifted the World Cup in Qatar for the third time in Qatar in 2022.
During his 12 years in the Vatican, the Pope was more than happy to welcome some of the biggest stars in the sport in his house.
He greeted Pep Guardiola during a private audience with his Bayern Munich team in 2014, and the German players – including Thomas Muller – visited him in 2016, two years after winning the World Cup.
While he spent a considerable part of his life in Italy, it is no surprise that the pope also rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest football players in the nation.
He welcomed ex-Man City striker Mario Balotelli in the Vatican in 2013 and was happy to pose for photos with Buffon and Andrea Pirlo when the couple visited him a year later.
The pope also received a shirt that 'Dad Francesco' reads from Juventus icon Alessandro del Piero.
Charity work was also close to the heart of the Pope, and this led him to receive a special shirt with his name on it from the Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho prior to a competition to raise money in 2022.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers then gave him a shirt signed by all players in 2023, with the pope more than happy to take it while he embraced football until his dying day.
Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis presented him a club shirt in the same year, but it did not change the pope's loyalty. It was always San Lorenzo who had his heart.
Football has lost a special fan, but enjoying the pope's photos will live on forever.