The China Mail - A stadium and a jersey for Argentina's 'Captain' Francis

Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the beautiful game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with football metaphors in his homeland.

"Francisco. What a player," the Argentine Football Federation remarked, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who "never hogged the ball" and who showed the world "the importance of having an Argentine captain, when courage is needed."

The AFA postponed all its fixtures on Monday in mourning for the pope. A minute's silence will be observed at all games for the rest of the week.

San Lorenzo club in Buenos Aires, of which Jorge Bergoglio was a lifelong fan, announced that its chapel would remain open until 9 pm each night this week to allow fans say their goodbyes at a makeshift altar adorned with his portrait.

The club also plans a memorial mass on Wednesday and players will tog out in a special Francis commemorative jersey on Saturday when they meet rivals Rosario Central at home.

A picture of the pope's San Lorenzo membership card from 2008 went viral on social media with many remarking on the strange coincidence of his time of death in Argentina, 2:35, at age 88 and his club membership number: 88235.

- 'Pope Francis' stadium -

Argentine football great Lionel Messi on Monday led his country's tributes to the pontiff, thanking him for "making the world a better place."

San Lorenzo issued an emotional statement and video about the illustrious "crow," as fans of the club founded by a priest are known, who was "always one of us."

The steps of Buenos Aires Cathedral, where Francis was archbishop from 1998 to 2013, and that of a church in his home neighborhood of Flores where a memorial mass was held on Monday, were dotted with football jerseys, scarves and bunting.

San Lorenzo's president Marcelo Moretti confirmed Tuesday that the club's planned 55,000-seater stadium will be named after the late leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Moretti said he visited the pope at the Vatican in 2024 to ask him to lend his name to the venue.

"He accepted and was very moved," Moretti said.

C.Smith--ThChM