Vatican Pope Soccer

In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis arrives for a private audience with the Argentine and Italian national soccer teams, at the Vatican, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013. Two big-name Argentines have had a VIP meeting at the Vatican, Pope Francis and Barcelona football star Lionel Messi. The player, his fellow teammates on the Argentine national soccer squad as well as Italy’s national team players were enjoying a private audience Tuesday with the first Latin American-born pontiff in the Apostolic Palace. The teams meet Wednesday in Rome in a friendly match. Francis told the players to remember they are role models on and off the field « for better or worse. » He asked for their prayers for himself « on the playing field God put me on. (AP Photo/L’Osservatore Romano, ho)