Pope Leon, in the “fierce competition” with Bad Bunny in Spain: “I think many choose to see him” / Who does the pontiff care about, Real or Barcelona?
Pope Leo XIV is competing for the public's attention with another VIP in Madrid this weekend, singer Bad Bunny, and admits many would rather see the Puerto Rican. The sovereign pontiff spoke about this “fierce competition”, but also about his preference for the biggest football rivalry in Spain, reports News.ro quoting the Associated Press.
The Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny will perform two concerts as part of his Spanish tour, which includes 10 shows, in the capital Madrid.
Leon acknowledged the allure of Bad Bunny when he referred to anecdotal accounts of a new spiritual awakening, particularly among young people in Spain. The American pontiff said he understood that young people feel a lack of meaning in their lives and suggested that his visit could help “awaken” something in them.
“If they were asked the question, 'Do you want to go see Bad Bunny or do you want to go see the Pope?', I think a lot of people would choose to see Bad Bunny,” he said. “But I think there will be a few who will come to see the Pope. And that's saying something, you know.”
Pope Leo XIV began a week-long visit to Spain on Saturday. After Madrid, he will also visit Barcelona and the Canary Islands. He hopes to convey a message of unity in a country polarized by political and church scandals.
Leon was also asked about rumors that plans to move his favorite team, the Chicago Bears, to Hammond, Indiana, are moving forward. The team's board of directors voted this week to move forward with the project to build a stadium in Hammond. Asked if he had any words of consolation for the state of Illinois, the Chicago-born pope joked, “That's not my business.”
In other sports-related comments, Pope Leon confirmed he will be rooting for the United States at the upcoming World Cup and showed his true sporting sympathies when asked if he supports Real Madrid or FC Barcelona: “It's simple,” he said. “The Pope likes all the teams, but Prevost likes Real Madrid,” said the Pope, referring to his birth name.
Real Madrid vs Barça? “That's easy…the Pope is for all teams, but Prevost is Real Madrid” #españa @Pontifex pic.twitter.com/MJQn41QSw5
— Elise Ann Allen (@eliseannallen) June 6, 2026
Pope Leo answered a series of questions as he greeted the journalists accompanying him. He spoke about Ukraine and Lebanon, as well as his recent statement that the Catholic Church's “just war” doctrine, which sets out the criteria by which a war can be morally justified, is “outdated.”
On Saturday marking the 82nd anniversary of the June 6, 1944 D-Day landings, Leon also told a French journalist that he would like to one day visit Normandy, France, as pope.
“My father was there,” he said.
It was a reference to Leon's father, Louis Prevost, who served in the United States Navy during World War II and participated in the D-Day landings in Normandy during Operation Overlord, according to the Pentagon.
Prevost also commanded an infantry landing unit and, after 15 months overseas, rose to the rank of second lieutenant, according to a note posted on the Pentagon website shortly after Leon's election.
After the war, Prevost became a teacher and school principal in Chicago, married, and he and his wife, Mildred, had three boys. The future pope, Robert Prevost, was the youngest, born on September 14, 1955.
