Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, has been the topic of sports rumors since he was appointed, due to his Chicago roots, as he is a known White Sox fan.

It's not a new or unique thing for a pope to be a sports fan. Pope Francis was a supporter of San Lorenzo, one of the oldest clubs in the Argentine Football Association. Pope Francis was born in Argentina and remained a fan during his papacy. The team even visited the Vatican twice during Pope Francis' tenure.

Pope Leo XIV has confirmed his favourite football team is Roma after engaging with a fan. The first US leader of the global Catholic Church responded to a Giallorossi supporter by repeating the popular phrase in the capital “Forza Roma!”

Since Robert Prevost is a Chicago native, baseball fans were eager to learn which baseball team the new pontiff supports.

The new pope, who was born in Chicago, said that tennis is his favorite sport. Pope Leo XIV, born and raised in Chicago, has captured global attention for two reasons: his historic role as the first American-born pontiff and his unexpected sports fandom.