The Vatican’s Clericus Cup soccer tournament returns this weekend for its 11th season.    As of Saturday, 372 footballing priests and seminarians from 66 countries will take part in the competition on St.    Peter’s oratory ground, a competition which has grown significantly since it was first launched in 2007, both in terms of popularity and the quality of play.

The tournament’s 18 teams, most representing Pontifical Colleges in Rome, will be sporting jerseys emblazoned with Pope Francis’s words “Let’s play for it, both in sport and life”. The favourites include Marian holders Mater Ecclesiae who say they’ll be “saying our prayers” to retain the title, and the much-fancied Brazilian College, which has its own Neymar.

Father Neymar, who unlike the Barcelona striker plays in midfield, said “I bear a very heavy name, a very prestigious one in the soccer world, I’ll do my best to be worthy of it, God bless me”.

Speaking at the tourney’s presentation with Neymar was the Brazilians’ 37-year-old goalie Carlo Gomes Silva, who played in the youth team of Brazilian second-division outfit Goias before taking his holy orders and might have had a career under current Italy coach Giampiero Ventura.

His story is unique: after reaching elite soccer, a problem in his heart forced him to leave the sport for a while. It was during the break that he made a decision which changed his life.

CARLOS GOMES

Priest and former soccer player

“I could not play football and I was so upset… In that moment of pain, I found the strength I needed at that moment in Jesus and this friendship with Him lead me to make the decision to become a priest.” It was a decision that unexpectedly caught both his family and teammates with whom he played by surprise.

“They were super surprised, they were so surprised. No one expected it because at that moment I had a future soccer career. I was surprised too, but when Jesus calls you cannot say anything else, we just move along.”

The last championship from the Clericus Cup was between Italy and Brazil, but the victory ended up being for the Italians. This Spanish priest is convinced that Spain has serious potential this year, even though he admits the seminarians are entering with an advantage.

 

DANIEL JUAN

Spanish College

“It’s always the Urbaniana University and those who won last year were from the Mater Eclesiae College. In seminaries, the men are very young, like 18 and 20 years old, and I am almost 47.Each man for himself, even if he is very good on the field, he cannot do anything if he does not play the ball. I think this a model for the life of faith and especially for the life of priests, because each one on their own can’t do anything.”

He says that although many do not see it, soccer and religion have many values and themes in common.

Until May 27, the soccer champions will be a mystery. This year, surely Pope Francis will follow closely because it is, as he has said many times, his favorite sport.