Ambassadors of Mexico, US, and Canada Present Official World Cup Ball to Pope

The ambassadors of Mexico, the United States, and Canada to the Holy See jointly presented Pope Leo XIV with the official World Cup ball on Wednesday at the end of his weekly general audience. The gesture came shortly after the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament began last Thursday in the three North American host countries. According to Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano, the three diplomats intended the gift to "celebrate the power of sport as an instrument of peace, fraternity, respect, and unity among peoples." The presentation underscores the symbolic role of the World Cup as a unifying global event, with the papal gift serving as recognition of sport's potential to foster international cooperation and mutual understanding among nations.