Pope Francis's relative who is a professional player in Italian soccer

Pope Francis's death left a profound void not only among millions of faithful around the world but also in a person very close to him. Felipe Bergoglio, his great-nephew, is a young player who plays in Italian football, anddreamed of meeting him before his departure from this world.

A confessed fan of San Lorenzo, as his famous relative was, Felipe began his career at Club Social y Deportivo Lasallano, in Córdoba. There he trained as a player and joined the First Team during the 2022 season and part of the next, before embarking on his journey to Europe.

He currently plays on loan at Castiglionense 1919, a modest club located in the Tuscany region. His registration belongs to Trestina, from Serie D, a team he joined at the beginning of the season, but where he didn't manage to accumulate many minutes.

Felipe Bergoglio and his family connection to the Pope

The relationship between Felipe and the Pope, Jorge Bergoglio, is established through the young man's grandfather, the pontiff's cousin. In fact, his grandfather is also named Jorge, like the Pope, which caused a curious confusion in Argentina when he was introduced in 2013 in Latin as Franciscus.

"There were people who thought the Pope was my grandfather. I was very young, about 10 years old, but I remember that day perfectly, those moments of celebration at home. It was unbelievable," he recalled in an interview with the newspaper La Nazione in August 2024.

During that same conversation, Felipe revealed that he never got to meet Pope Francis personally, although he hoped for an intimate meeting at the Holy See, in the Vatican.

"My father told me that Pope Francis always asked about our family. When we all lived in Argentina, the relationship was difficult due to the distances between Buenos Aires and Córdoba, but the bond was always there," he explained.

Felipe is the youngest of three siblings. His older brothers, Mateo and Benjamín, did get to meet the Pope, something he won't be able to accomplish and will remain an unfulfilled wish in his life.

The surname that draws attention on the field

In training and matches, his surname doesn't go unnoticed. Both teammates and opponents often approach him due to the uniqueness of sharing the same surname as the leader of the Catholic Church.

"My teammates ask me for a blessing before each match. Also when they get injured. I've been in Italy for a short time and I'm already used to it. We always laugh. Being a Bergoglio is an honor and for me, it doesn't pose any burden to carry this surname," he confessed.