Soccer enthusiast Pope Francis receives foosball table as gift at Open Audience

During Pope Francis' eight-year papacy, he has received dozens of soccer jerseys and game balls, but on Wednesday, he received a new football-themed toy, his own foosball table. Representatives from the Sport Toscana Calcio Balilla in Altopascio, a Tuscany-based table football association, presented the Pope the table at the end of his open audience.

Altopascio mayor posted the images on Facebook

Sara D'Ambrosio, the mayor of Altopascio, posted on Facebook that the table was created to be inclusive and functional for those with physical limitations so that they may participate in sports. A small part of the caption read, "The emotion contained in this photo seems to me to feel it and to live it, it's strong and heartwarming! Thanks to the collaboration of Rossana Sebastiani, Christmas Tonini, Angelo Tonini, Federico Ficini and Manuele Tintori, the boys, actually the group of friends, as they call themselves of the association Sport Tuscany Calciobalilla, the flower of our territory, went to the Pope for Bringing them a gift, an inclusive soccer table, so designed for the needs of disabled people." 

The Argentine-born Pope is well-known for his love of soccer and his support for the Buenos Aires-based San Lorenzo soccer team. He has long advocated for sports as a means of promoting unity and inclusiveness, particularly among youth.

In 2019, photographs of the leader of the Catholic State spinning a football on his finger went viral on social media. The incident had occurred during the Pope's weekly address at the Vatican. He was accompanied this time by a troupe of Cuban circus performers who danced to Salsa music and performed acrobatics. The Pope decided to join in the fun and twirl the football around his finger in the thick of their shenanigans.

Pope Francis' love for sports

Pope Francis speaks about sports with a fan's excitement and in a dialect that is understandable to a specific audience. He considers sports to be a language, and he is proficient in the lingo of various sports, particularly soccer.

The Pope had told the European Olympic Committee in 2013 that sports' language is worldwide and it transcends borders, languages, races, religions, and ideologies. He further said that it has the power to bring people together through discourse and acceptance.

(With Inputs from AP, Image: @saradambrosiosindaco/Facebook)