‘Pele was the greatest’ Pope Francis not Maradona, not Messi

Pope Francis was born in Argentina, he has been a football fan throughout his entire life and he even has a club from his country he has always supported.

San Lorenzo is the club that the Pope has followed since he was a child and being the most important figure in the Catholic church has never stopped him from feeling that way.

Every time he is asked about football, the Pope responds with deep knowledge, and many of the greatest footballers alive pay him a visit to the Vatican.

In terms of the best players who ever lived, Pope Francis shares the nationality with two of them. Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona are both from Argentina and they are both always considered amongst the best.

The other two players who are not from Argentina and are always part of the conversation are Cristiano Ronaldo and Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or Pelé as the world knows him. When asked about the best players in football history, Pope Francis may surprise more than one with his response. He said via Europa Press: "For me, the great gentleman between the three of them is Pele. He is a man with a huge heart. I spoke to Pele, I met him once on a flight when I was in Buenos Aires. We spoke. A man with so much humanity. Maradona was one of the greats as a player but he failed as a man. Poor him, he slipped and those who adored him never helped him. Many athletes end up like he did. Messi is also a gentleman, although all three of them are great. Each with his own specialty."

Although there was no mention of Cristiano Ronaldo, that is only because the question posed to him didn't include the Portuguese star. Surely Pope Francis also considers CR7 amongst the very best who ever played the game. But saying he prefers Pelé over Messi and Maradona does come as a surprise for people from Argentina who hoped he would choose one of his two

compatriots. Also, we need to note that the pope counts all aspects of an athlete's life and not only what they do inside their own discipline. Pelé was a human rights figure for many years and helped combat injustice after he retired from the sport. In terms of a humanitarian aspect, Pelé can be considered the best. The Pope has previously stated who the best fotballer is between them all.