FILE PHOTO: A Chile fan stands behind a banner depicting (L-R) retired Argentina soccer player Diego Maradona, Pope Francis and Argentina's Lionel Messi as he awaits the start of the Copa America 2015 semi-final soccer match between Argentina and Paraguay at Estadio Municipal Alcaldesa Ester Roa Rebolledo in Concepcion, Chile, June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Andres Stapff/File Photo
(Reuters) -Argentina's football association postponed all fixtures on Monday to mourn Pope Francis, an ardent fan of the game and supporter of Buenos Aires' San Lorenzo team.
"Argentine football says goodbye to you wrapped in deep sorrow," the Argentine Football Association said of the decision to delay games in his homeland by a day.
A minute's silence will be held at matches this week.
Born in Buenos Aires in 1936, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church died on Monday aged 88.
"Francis was not only a spiritual reference, but also a footballing one, and met with players, leaders and football legends, such as the captain of the Argentine national team Lionel Messi and Diego Armando Maradona," the association said.
"He never hid his passion for football and his unconditional love for San Lorenzo de Almagro," it added.
Messi paid an emotional tribute to Pope Francis later on Monday, with a message on social media.
"A different pope, close to us, Argentinean," wrote the Inter Miami forward on Instagram, alongside a photo from their 2013 meeting.
"Pope Francis. Thank you for making the world a better place. We are going to miss you."
In a memoir, Francis spoke of Maradona's controversial "Hand of God" goal in Argentina's 1986 World Cup soccer quarter-final against England. When Maradona visited him at the Vatican years later, "I asked him, jokingly, 'So, which is the guilty hand?'" the pope recalled.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, additional reporting by Janina Nuno Rios; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Toby Davis)
