Pope Francis Organizing Soccer Match For Peace Between Israel and Palestinians
Image by Getty Images
Pope Francis has organized an exhibition soccer match with all-star players to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
The “match for the peace” will take place Sept. 1 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome.
Among the top players, active and retired, scheduled to participate are Argentine greats Diego Maradonna and Lionel Messi. Maradona told Argentine media that the pope called him personally and asked him “to play for the peace between Israel and Palestine.” Francis also called Messi to request his participation.
Yossi Benayoun, an Israeli, also will participate, as will players from Russia, Cameroon, Italy, France and Brazil. The match will be hosted by the Pupi Foundation, a charity founded by the Argentine soccer player Javer “Pupi” Zanetti, as well as the Pontifical Academy for Social Science.
In May, Francis hosted then-Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for a prayer summit at the Vatican.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
