For him, football was never just a sport—it was a school of life. It taught teamwork, humility, discipline, and the ability to celebrate with others and suffer gracefully. More importantly, it offered a powerful antidote to the loneliness of modern life. “We live today in a time when it’s easy to cut ourselves off,” Pope Francis once reflected. “We create links that are virtual, remote—theoretically in contact, but practically alone.”

He believed football was not just equipment on a field but an instrument of communion. It invited real people to meet in real spaces, to interact freely, and to form true bonds through face-to-face encounters. Whether on a playground or in a parish yard, it created moments of authentic, joyful presence.

This emphasis on being with young people—playing, laughing, growing together—lay at the heart of the Salesian style that deeply shaped him. Pope Francis often quoted Saint John Bosco, the founder of the Salesians, who once told his students: “You want children? Throw a ball into the air and before it hits the ground just see how many will have turned up!”

That saying had proven true in 1841 when Don Bosco founded the first oratory in Turin. It remained just as true in the mid-20th century on the street corners of Buenos Aires. Don Bosco’s pastoral genius lay in his joyful, affectionate presence among the young. He believed in meeting them where they were—through play, conversation, and gentle guidance—and accompanying them toward growth in faith and character.

This approach profoundly influenced Bergoglio. It was not doctrine alone that moved him, but presence—the ability to walk with the young, listen, laugh, and lead them subtly toward God through love and familiarity.

It is no surprise, then, that his favourite football club was San Lorenzo de Almagro, founded in 1908 by a Salesian priest, Fr. Lorenzo Massa, who saw a group of boys playing in the streets and invited them to play safely on church grounds. He only requested they attend Mass and grow together in sportsmanship and spirit.

San Lorenzo adopted the colours blue and red, representing Mary, Help of Christians, the Salesian patroness. Rival fans nicknamed the club’s fans Cuervos (Crows), teasing the black cassocks worn by the Salesians. But the name was embraced proudly, symbolizing a legacy of faith, dignity, and joyful service.

Through football, Pope Francis learned early lessons in compassion, camaraderie, and community—the same values he would carry into his priesthood and, later, into the papacy. He never saw football as separate from his faith. Instead, it was a living parable of unity, inclusion, and joy.

The Salesian way is to be truly present with others, especially the young. And in every goal scored, every game played, and every child welcomed through sport, Pope Francis saw the face of Christ smiling back.

Source: Autobiography of Pope Francis, HOPE