Pope Leo XIV has a favorite at the 2026 World Cup, and the first American pope is going with his home country. Speaking to reporters aboard his plane to Madrid this week, the Chicago-born pontiff said he will “certainly” support the United States as it co-hosts the tournament alongside Mexico and Canada beginning June 11. It was a casual, lighthearted answer, but for a global figure who rarely wades into rivalries, it instantly became one of the most shared sports remarks of the week.
A Pope With Two Homelands
What makes the choice notable is that Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, holds dual citizenship in the United States and Peru. He spent decades as a missionary and later a bishop in Peru, a country that shaped much of his life in the Church. That deep connection once led him to a very different answer.
In his first interview as pope last year, Leo was asked who he would cheer for if the United States and Peru ever met on the field. Back then, he said he would root for Peru. This time, with the tournament looming, his answer landed firmly on Team USA, a small but telling shift for a leader who has often emphasized his American roots since becoming pope.
The Choice He Never Had to Make
As it turns out, the pope was spared any real conflict of allegiances. Neither Peru nor Italy, the two nations closest to Leo’s heart, qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Italy, a footballing powerhouse and the country where the Vatican sits, missed out once again in a result that stunned fans across Europe. Peru also fell short during qualification.
With both of his other home teams out of the picture, throwing his support behind the United States became a far easier call. “I don’t know how many games I’ll be able to see, but, you know, I’ll try my best,” Leo added, acknowledging the demanding schedule that comes with leading the global Catholic Church.
A Lifelong Sports Fan
The remark fits a pope who has never hidden his love of sports. Leo is an avid tennis player and a devoted fan of Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox, a loyalty that has delighted fans back home in Illinois. Since his election, glimpses of his personality, including his sense of humor and his enthusiasm for athletics, have helped shape a warmer public image.
He has also tried to give that enthusiasm a deeper meaning. Leo dedicated his June prayer intention to the power of sport, praying that it may serve as “a school of fraternity, not of empty rivalry, a space of encounter, not exclusion, a path of peace, not violence.” With the World Cup opening in his home country, the message carries extra weight.
Why It Resonates
It was a rare lighthearted moment from a pope who has spent his early months tackling weighty subjects, from artificial intelligence to migration to global conflict. A simple question about soccer offered a glimpse of the man behind the role, someone who can talk policy one moment and admit he hopes to catch a few matches the next.
For millions of American Catholics, having the first U.S.-born pope openly cheering for the home team during a World Cup hosted on American soil is a moment of genuine pride. It is the kind of small, human story that cuts through the noise, and a reminder that even the leader of the global Church is, at heart, a fan like everyone else.
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