They say when you visit someone, carry with you a household gift no matter how small it is, and this could have been the same thing that the French Prime Minister Jean Castex thought when he paid a visit to the head of the worldwide Catholic Church Pope Francis.
In his visit to the Vatican City in Rome to commemorate 100 years of diplomatic relations between France and the Holy See, the French Prime Minister had carried a gift – a signed Lionel Messi PSG shirt which he handed to him.
Glass-framed number 30 jersey, signed by Messi; Photo Credit – Vatican News
The French Prime Minister handed the pope the glass-framed number 30 jersey, signed by Messi, who plays for Paris St Germain, following 35 minutes of private talks at the Vatican.
Pope Francis is known for his unending love for his fellow countrymen Lionel Messi and on several occasions, he admitted he admires how the Argentine understood football in his unique sense.
Lionel Messi was signed by Paris Saint Germain in a free transfer move after his boyhood club Barcelona failed to register him due to financial turmoil that still haunts it to date.
Lionel Messi has only registered a goal with his new club in their UEFA Champions League outing against Manchester City in September in a 2-0 victory. Although he has had an impressive run in the Ligue 1 Competition hitting the post in his second match donning a PSG shirt.
Lionel Messi has one goal so far with PSG; Photo Credit – Sky sports
Pope Francis in an interview in 2016, when asked how he regards Lionel Messi said in his opinion that Messi was far much better than Maradona and Pele.
“For me, Lionel Messi is better than Pele and Maradona.” However, once asked whether the Argentine forward was like a deity himself, Pope Francis said: “Of course, he is very good, but he isn’t God.”
The Holy Father has also met Messi on two occasions.
Lionel Messi is the highest-scoring South American player in history, after surpassing Brazilian Pele’s long-standing of 77 goals.
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