Pope welcomes Maradonna and football greats from across the world to Vatican for inter-faith ‘match for peace’

 

A glittering list of football stars, including arguably the greatest player of all time, Diego Maradona, met Pope Francis today Monday  Sep 01,2014 ahead of an inter-religious charity match.

The game will take place at the Olympic Stadium in Rome and aims to promote world peace and understanding

Ahead of the game this evening, Pope Francis was presented with an Argentina shirt by the man known to many for his 'Hand of God' in the 1986 World Cup quarter final defeat of England. 

At the time of fellow Argentinian Pope Francis' election in March, Maradona remarked: 'Everybody in Argentina can remember "the hand of God" in the England match in the 1986 World Cup. Now, in my country, the "hand of God" has brought us an Argentinian pope.'

Maradona was among a list of stars that met Pope Francis today before the 'football match with peace'

  

Colombia's Carlos Valderrama (right) - with his wife Elvira Redondo (left) - was among footballers meeting the Pope at the Vatican to mark the match for peace organised by the Catholic Church

  

Football legends from past and present line up for the team photo prior to the game

  

Football legends past and present came together to promote an end to hostilities in Gaza at the Interreligious Match for Peace staged Rome.

The exhibition match was arranged at the behest of Pope Francis, himself an avid supporter of Argentine side San Lorenzo, to to promote a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

In total 50 all-star players of different religious backgrounds ranging from Islam to Buddhism were invited to take part in the game at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. 

The exhibition was co-hosted by the Pupi Foundation, a Buenos Aires-based charity founded by the former Inter Milan midfielder Javier Zanetti, alongside Scholas Occurentes, an educational entity launched by the Pope.

Zanetti captained the PUPI side while Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon took charge of the  SCHOLAS. As expected, the exhibition game was a goal fest intent on entertaining the audience and finished 6-3 to the PUPI side.