The Argentina soccer team honors Pope Francis, their most revered admirer

Images and tributes to Pope Francis were everywhere at the Pedro Bidegain stadium in Buenos Aires on Saturday as his beloved San Lorenzo de Almagro soccer team played for the first time since the pontiff’s passing. These included flags and a life-size statue.

The players wore jerseys that featured pictures of the deceased Pope and the phrase “Together for Eternity,” in honor of Francis’s lifelong devotion to the squad, which included his staying a member during his 12-year pontificate.

Fans waved yellow and white flags representing the Vatican as they yelled, “The Pope is from Boedo,” prior to kickoff. The Buenos Aires team, which is based in the Boedo area, intends to honor Pope Francis with the name of its new stadium.

The pope, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, was also honored at the halftime show by Scholas Occurrentes, an international organization founded by the pope in 2013 to revolutionize world education.

Jorge Bergoglio never lost his love for the well-known Argentine club, which he inherited from his father.

As part of a series of wishes for his homeland, Bergoglio declared, “And may San Lorenzo win,” soon after his election in 2013.

Despite never having visited Argentina as pope, a life-size statue of Francis watched the game versus Rosario Central from the sidelines while sporting a scarf around his neck that featured the team’s colors, red and blue.

Enzo Copetti gave Rosario Central the only goal in the 91st minute, ending the scoreless match and defeating the pope’s hometown team 1-0.

Francis was declared an honorary San Lorenzo member during his time at the Vatican, and club delegations visited him on multiple occasions, including one following the team’s 2014 Copa Libertadores victory, when they gave the trophy to the Catholic leader.