Pope Leo XIV known sport affinities: An amateur tennis player that supports Chicago White Sox

The late Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis, was a renowned football fan, who used to play as goalkeeper in his youth, was a fan or Argentinian side San Lorenzo de Almagro and met with several footballers, including his compatriots Leo Messi and Diego Armando Maradona. Does his successor, Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV, have any known sport affinities? Indeed he does.

The first North American Pope, born in Chicago 69 years ago, but of Peruvian descent, described himself as an "amateur tennis player". He said it in an interview on the Saint Augustine website published in September 2023, when he was named cardinal. Asked about what he likes to do in his free time, he said that he considers himself "quite the amateur tennis player".

"I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player. Since leaving Peru I have had few occasions to practise so I am looking forward to getting back on the court [laughs]. Not that this new job has left me much free time for it so far."

Funnily enough, Leo XIV was announced at the same time as a tennis match was happening just two miles away in the most important Italian tennis competition.

Which Chicago teams does Leo XIV support?

Being born in Chicago, Illinois, a new dispute has started between the biggest franchises in the city to know which local teams have the new Pope's "blessing". While not confirmed nor backed up by a specific source, ABC News has reported that Robert Prevost is a fan of Chicago Cubs, one of the baseball teams of the city.

However, that is not true... according to his own brother, John Prevost, who said the following to WGN: "He was never, ever a Cubs fan. So I don't know where that came from. He was always a Sox fan".

The amusing feud on social media, arguing which teams does the new Pope supports, even reached Chicago Cubs' official profile on X, when they announced on the stadium that "He's a Cubs fan!", only for readers to add notes saying that, in reality he supports Chicago White Sox.

Beyond baseball, it is unknown if Leo XIV supports Chicago Bulls (on NBA) or Chicago Bears (on NFL). What he does support, according to TV Perú, is Alianza de Lima, one of the three main Peruvian football clubs (via RTVE).