Video: Messi meets Pope Francis

Members of the Italian and Argentine national football teams meet Pope Francis at Vatican City in Rome, Italy on Wednesday (August 13) ahead of their friendly match.

Members of the Italian and Argentine national football teams meet Pope Francis at Vatican City in Rome, Italy on Wednesday ahead of their friendly match.

The players enjoyed a rare private audience with the first Latin American-born pontiff and the pope emphasised the importance of being a footballer, in the modern era:

Pope Francis:
“You, dear players, are very popular, people follow you a lot, not just when you are on the field, but also off the field, this is a social responsibility. Let me explain. During the game, when you are on the field, you find beauty, generosity and camaraderie. If a game is missing one of these, it loses strength.”

Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi could miss the match after sitting out his club’s final preseason friendly in Malaysia with a muscle strain in his left leg.

Italy’s last match with Argentina was also a friendly in Rome, in 2001, which Argentina won 2-1. Before that, Diego Maradona‘s Argentina knocked host nation Italy out of the 1990 World Cup on penalties in a memorable semi-final in Naples.