Pope Leo XIV presides over the midday prayer in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia in Bacelona, Spain, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, on the fourth day of a seven-day apostolic journey to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
BARCELONA – Pope Leo XIV waded into two of Spain’s classic culture wars as he landed in Barcelona on Tuesday during his weeklong visit to the country, but sought to defuse one quickly by speaking first in the Catalan language instead of Spanish upon his arrival.
The U.S.-born pontiff earlier rubbed soccer fans in Barcelona the wrong way by saying he actually roots for Real Madrid instead of their beloved Barça.
The other matter was likely unavoidable. Many Catalans wanted the pope to speak more Catalan publicly instead of Spanish, which Leo speaks fluently and is expected to use predominantly during his visit to Barcelona before heading to the Canary Islands.
The pope even visited Real Madrid’s museum
“The pope is for all teams, but Prevost is for Real Madrid” were the words that sealed Leo’s sporting fate with many a Barça fan when he responded to a question on the papal plane en route to Spain.
Madrid proudly posted the video of the moment, and social media filled with comments about how Madrid is “the team of God.”
Tomás Roncero, a popular sports commentator for the widely read Spanish sports daily AS, said in a video that “the pope can’t be for Barça because it is a sinful club … in his heart he is of a pure and clean club like Madrid.”
For many non-Madrid fans, especially those in Spain’s regions with different languages and strong local identities like Catalonia, Real Madrid is associated with strong central power. Many consider it almost a pillar of the state, along with the central government and the Catholic Church.
The pope aligned himself closely with Madrid during events in the capital. He visited Real Madrid’s museum to peruse its packed trophy case with club president Florentino Pérez, who gave him a Madrid shirt with “Robert F. Prevost” on the back.
On Monday, thousands of Catholics packed the home venue of Real Madrid for a rally with the pope featuring dancers kicking soccer balls while dressed in the white and yellow colors of the Holy See.
“Today the Church in Madrid has scored a great goal to always be remembered!” Leo said.
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