Messi in a rare meeting with Pope Francis.

In August 2013, Messi had the honor of meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican. That was when the Argentine superstar and his teammates were preparing for a friendly match against Italy. The image of Messi in tears during the meeting ceremony created a memorable moment in the hearts of fans.

During the meeting, Pope Francis advised the players on humility and altruism, while emphasizing the responsibility that the players carry on their shoulders.

During the meeting, Pope Francis also gave Messi a potted olive tree. After leaving the ceremony, Messi shared a brief message with the press: “We should not only think about ourselves.”

In 2016, in a speech to thousands of young people from around the world, Pope Francis praised Messi: “For me, Messi is better than Maradona and Pele.”

On April 21, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had died at the age of 88, just one day after attending Easter Mass. On his personal page, Messi posted a photo with Pope Francis and expressed his respect.

“A respected Argentine Pope. May he rest in peace. Thank you for making the world a better place. We will miss you,” Messi shared on his personal page.

San Lorenzo, a team that Pope Francis is a big fan of, also shared their grief on the club’s official account. “Goodbye, thank you and farewell! We will be together forever!”, the club’s post read.