Overview
- César Cueto, an Alianza Lima icon, met Pope León XIV at the Vatican and handed him the club’s 2026 home shirt as a symbolic gift intended for blessing.
- Cueto said it was a point of pride that the pope is Peruvian and, in his words, "blanquiazul," speaking in a statement shared by the club.
- Club messages and news reports note that León XIV, born Robert Prevost, gained Peruvian nationality in 2015 after years of pastoral work in Chiclayo.
- Media have long linked the pope as an Alianza Lima supporter based on acquaintances and a journalist’s book, though no formal Vatican stance has been issued.
- Coverage also resurfaced a 2025 interview where he said he would "probably" cheer for Peru at the World Cup, reflecting how faith and football often overlap in Peru’s public life.