Pope Leo XIV greets Villanova and Notre Dame basketball teams in Vatican audience

The pontiff welcomed the teams and fans in a private audience before the season‑opening doubleheader in Rome.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 31 Oct 2026 13:48:29 GMT

Pope Leo XIV held a private audience on Saturday, Oct. 31, with the men’s and women’s basketball teams from Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame, as well as roughly 7,000 traveling American fans, according to CBS News and The Independent.

What happened

About 7,000 people entered the Paul VI Audience Hall after a special Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The audience was held the day before the U.S. college basketball season opener in Rome, called the Eternal City Tip‑Off, which will be staged at the 11,000‑seat Palazzo dello Sport about a half‑hour from the Vatican.

What the reports add

CBS noted that the pope, an avid tennis player and Chicago White Sox fan, highlighted how sport can foster fraternity, solidarity and peace, and warned that rivalries should not turn into enmity.
The Independent reported that Leo cautioned against a win‑at‑all‑cost mindset, linking it to doping, match‑fixing and other corrupt practices.
Both outlets mentioned that Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Perez was scheduled to celebrate a private Mass for the fans in St. Peter’s shortly before the audience.
CBS described a moment when Leo received a basketball as a gift during the meeting.
The Independent added that Rev. Rob Hagan, Villanova’s longtime chaplain, called the pope a “true, blue Villanovan” who still follows games at the Palestra.

What was said

“By acting as a concrete means of bringing people together, athletics can teach the values of cooperation and mutual sharing. This is increasingly necessary in an age marked by the distance that can be created by technology,”

— Pope Leo XIV, cited by Vatican News and reported by CBS.

“No one is born a champion, just as no one is born a saint,”

— Pope Leo XIV, urging participants to see sport as a path to holiness, CBS.

“In any competition, the members of two teams, even when they have a competitive rivalry, are certainly not enemies,”

— Pope Leo XIV, emphasizing friendly rivalry, CBS.

“They tell me that the people coming to the match, 90% are Villanova and 10% Notre Dame, so the voice of the people of God will be very strong on the Villanova side,”

— Pope Leo XIV, quoted by The Independent.

“That could be a little challenging, but I know the pope is a pope for all of us, and so I’m grateful,”

— Rev. Robert Dowd, president of Notre Dame, speaking to CBS.

How it came about

The audience follows Pope Leo XIV’s recent return to public duties after lung‑cancer surgery earlier in October. He celebrated a public Angelus on Oct. 18, a general audience on Oct. 21, and has been meeting officials such as Archbishop Paolo Rudelli as part of his phased comeback, per earlier Felo coverage. The double‑header, announced as the Eternal City Tip‑Off, was organized to honor the first American pope and his Villanova alma mater.

Key facts

About 7,000 people attended the private audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall. (cbsnews.com)
The audience preceded the Eternal City Tip‑Off doubleheader at the Palazzo dello Sport on Nov. 1. (independent.co.uk)
Pope Leo XIV highlighted sport’s role in teaching cooperation and mutual sharing. (cbsnews.com)
Leo warned that a win‑at‑all‑cost mentality can contribute to doping and match‑fixing. (independent.co.uk)
Archbishop Nelson Perez was to celebrate a private Mass for the fans before the audience. (independent.co.uk)