Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, has admitted that Lionel Messi is a great footballer but insists that he is not God.
The 82-year-old pontiff said this in response to questions about Messi on Spanish TV show, Salvados on La Sexta.
“You can’t say it and I don’t believe it. I think people say ‘he is God’ just as they say ‘I adore you.’ You have to adore only God.
“It’s expressions that people use. This is a god with the ball on the pitch. It’s a popular way that people have of expressing themselves. Of course it is a joy [to watch Messi play]. But he is not God,” he said.
Pope Francis said: “In theory, it’s a sacrilege,” he said that it would be breaking commandment by using the Lord’s name in vain.
He concluded, ““Of course, it is a joy [to watch Messi play]. But he is not God.”
Pope Francis is a known football fan.
He is a follower of Argentinian side San Lorenzo, being born and raised in Buenos Aires, and has mingled with stars of the sporting world in the past.
Messi and the rest of the Argentine squad had a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2013.
The Barcelona forward told reporters the event was “short but beautiful.”
