Video game rides conclave excitement with cardinal fantasy team

Cardinals attending a Mass presided over by Cardinal Pietro Parolin in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, on the second of nine days of mourning for Pope Francis on April 27, 2025. Fantapapa asks players to choose a squad of 11 cardinals, including a captain (the 'most papable' cardinal) and a goalkeeper (the least likely winner), providing an insight on users' favourite frontrunners. — AP

VATICAN CITY: As cardinals prepare to elect a new pope, thousands are doing so already, in a new video game that allows users to pick their favourites as the next pontiff.

Almost 60,000 people have signed up to Fantapapa, an online game that plays on Italians' passion for football and the Church, since it launched after Pope Francis died last week, its creators said April 29.