Pope Francis who revealed he is proud of the performance of his fellow Argentine, Lionel Messi, has however stated that the celebrated footballer is not God.

Pointing out the “sacrilegious point” of many who worship the Barcelona star as a hero, Pope Francis who admitted that Messi is a joy to watch stated that he is not God. Speaking about his compatriot Messi, who is often referred to as “God”, Pope Francis said:

Jordi Evole: You know when both. Is it sacrilege to say the Messi is God?

Pope Francis: In theory, it is sacrilege. You can’t say it and I don’t believe it. Do you believe it?

Jordi Evole: I do.

Pope Francis: I don’t [laughs]. People can say he is God, just as they may say ‘I adore you’ but only God can be worshipped. Those are expressions from people. ‘This is a God with the ball on the field’ is a popular way for someone to express themselves.