The Pope may be Argentine but it would be a close call between His Holiness and Diego Maradona for the nation's favourite son.
In Naples there are as many murals of El Diego as there are of its patron saint, San Gennaro, and one cafe even has a holy shrine to the former Napoli star - complete with a lock of his hair.
While the adulation in his homeland and his adopted city can't be matched there's somewhere else where Maradona is revered - Scotland.
The little playmaker famously dumped England out of the 1986 World Cup with a magnificent soaring header - alright, punch into the net - followed by one of the best solo dribbles of all time.
It's not uncommon to hear a refrain in his honour on the Hampden terraces. Set to the tune of the 'Hokey Cokey' the dance involves putting your left hand in and concludes "oh Diego Maradona: he put the English out out out!"
The England goalkeeper that day, Peter Shilton, has never forgiven Maradona for the infamous 'Hand of God' but the man himself is characteristically unrepentant.
And in a rare interview El Pibe de Oro admits he'd do it all again if he could.
Maradona told France Football: "I dream of being able to score another goal against the English... with my right hand this time!"
The former Napoli superstar, who scored his first international goal against Scotland, also gave his verdict on today's talents, naming an unsurprising pair as the the world's best.
Maradona said: "Messi and Cristiano, Cristiano and Messi.
"In my opinion those two are a step above all the others, I don't see anyone who is getting close to them.
"Not a single one achieves half of what they do."
