San Lorenzo plans to name stadium after Pope Francis!

San Lorenzo plans to name stadium after Pope Francis!

The Argentine Football Association San Lorenzo plans to name a new stadium after Pope Francis. This honor is given to the recently deceased Pontifex, which was the head of the Catholic Church from 2013 until his death on April 21, 2025. Association president Marcelo Moretti had already personally asked Francis to consent to this project last year and accompanied his request with gifts from the association. The Pope enthusiastically agreed and was visibly moved.

Franziskus, with a bourgeois name Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was a passionate football fan and a member of the association from Buenos Aires. This background increases the importance of stadium naming. San Lorenzo experienced a “resurrection” in football in 2014, by winning both the national championship and the Copa Libertadores, the greatest success of the club's history. As a special homage to the Pope, San Lorenzo will compete in special jerseys at the next home game against Rosario Central.

honors and memories

Moretti has announced that a jersey of the association signed by Pope Francis should be exhibited in the new stadium. This is not only a recognition of the papacy, but also a lasting memory of the close connection between Franziskus and San Lorenzo. Francis received his consecration for the priest in 1969 and became a cardinal in 2001 before being elected as the first Pope from South America in 2013.

The Pontifex lived modestly and was known as the "Pope of the Poor", who rejected the traditional privileges of the papal office. Despite his high position, football was one of his great passions, and many called him a loyal supporter of San Lorenzo, the club of his youth. The planned stadium name is therefore also a sign of respect for its origin and his life story.

With such a symbolic gesture, the club not only honors the memory of an important church leader, but also a man who embodied his values ​​in a modest way of life. The new stadium in the Boedo district will be reminiscent of the roots of the association and the strong connection between Pope Francis with his favorite club. The certificates of honor and the upcoming ceremony will certainly bring together many supporters of football and believers.