Pope Leo XIV has angered Donald Trump supporters in the United States after a resurfaced interview showed the American‑born pontiff saying he would back Peru over Team USA in a hypothetical World Cup clash, just weeks before the tournament kicks off in North America.
The news came after months of simmering tension between Pope Leo XIV and Donald Trump, with the pair publicly at odds over the president's war in Iran. Pope Leo, elected in May last year as the first American pope in the Catholic Church's history, has repeatedly been cast by Trump allies as an ideological opponent. The latest row has less to do with theology than football, but it has quickly become another proxy fight over patriotism, identity, and who gets to claim the mantle of 'real American.'
For starters, Pope Leo's national story is complicated. Born in Chicago, he holds dual citizenship in the United States and Peru. He first went to Peru as a missionary, later serving there as a bishop, and his election made him the first pope from both nations. To many Catholics, that global background is entirely unremarkable, even fitting for the head of a worldwide church. To parts of the MAGA base, however, the nuance appears to have vanished in the rush to portray him as disloyal.
The clip now driving the controversy comes from an interview Pope Leo XIV gave to Catholic outlet Crux Now Media in September. Asked directly where his football loyalties would lie if the United States played Peru at the World Cup, he paused before answering: 'Good question, probably Peru.'
He went on to explain that his choice was not a political statement but an emotional one. 'Just because of affective bonds, if you will,' he said, adding that he also has a soft spot for Italy's national side. 'I'm also a big fan of Italy. In World Cup level I would follow three teams generally. You mentioned two and Italy would be the third one.'
At the time, the remarks attracted little notice. That has changed as this year's World Cup, hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, draws near. A short clip of the exchange, posted on X (formerly Twitter), has been viewed nearly 900,000 times, with the comments section quickly turning into a referendum on the Pope's Americanness.
Pope Leo XIV was asked who he’d root for between the United States and Peru in the World Cup.
— Christopher Hale (@ChristopherHale) April 30, 2026
His answer? “Probably Peru.” pic.twitter.com/oHmI0mDEja
MAGA Anger Boils Over At Pope Leo XIV
In the replies beneath the video, self‑described Trump supporters vented fury at Pope Leo XIV and questioned his loyalties. 'Of course – he hates the US and its people,' one account declared, taking a football preference as proof of national animus.
Another wrote: 'Wow that's all I need to know about who this fake pope is a fake American.' A third commenter dispensed with theology altogether, saying: 'F--- him. He is not holy. He's a leftist fraud who God views no differently than he views me.'
Several users linked his World Cup answer directly to his very public confrontation with Trump, which has centred on the president's policies on Iran. 'Pretty evil to go against your home country because you don't like the President,' one person wrote, suggesting the Pope's football allegiance was an extension of his political disagreements.
Others tried to strip him of his national label entirely. 'He's not an American Pope then. Just another European s---,' another user complained, folding Leo into a broader narrative on the American right that casts the Catholic hierarchy as out‑of‑touch European elites, even when the man in white grew up in the American Midwest.
World Cup Debate Exposes Confusion Over Pope Leo XIV
That jab, however, backfired almost immediately. Dozens of users piled on to point out that Peru is not, in fact, in Europe. 'Peru is not in Europe,' one reply deadpanned. 'You've definitely got the American grasp of geography,' another added. A third user echoed the sentiment more bluntly: 'Americans and their obsession with being terrible at geography amazes me.'
It is a minor episode, but it exposes how a fairly mundane detail of Pope Leo XIV's life story has become raw material for an online culture war. The Pope's own explanation in the interview was almost painfully straightforward. He said that half of his ministerial life had been spent in Peru and that the country and its people remain central to who he is.
'I'm obviously an American, and I very much feel that I'm an American,' he told Crux Now. 'But I also love very much Peru, the Peruvian people, and so that is a part of who I am. Half of my ministerial life was spent in Peru.'
On the football itself, the debate may already be moot. Neither Peru nor Italy has qualified for this year's World Cup, leaving the Pope's loyalties in the actual tournament an open question. The resurfaced video offers no updated answer, and there has been no formal statement from the Vatican clarifying which national team he will support.
