Pope Leo isn't backing down from criticism of the war in Iran
On the papal plane to Spain, Leo XIV was peppered with questions from his latest views on global conflicts to which team he's rooting for in the World Cup football tournament.
His tone was playful when drawn into sporting competition, but serious when asked about his disagreement with the U.S. administration about its war on Iran.
He was specifically asked about Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert who evoked Saint Augustine to frame that conflict as a "just war." Leo is an Augustinian and robustly disagrees with how his theological mentor is being cited.
"I believe it has already been stated very clearly: there is no just war there," he said during a trip to Spain. "The problem is that the theory of just war comes from centuries past, it didn't even consider the weapons and the capacity for destruction that man possesses today."
In recent months, U.S. President Donald Trump has shown growing irritation with Leo, the first American pope in history. Elected in 2025, the pope kept a low profile and wasn't seen as vocal as his predecessor Francis on issues like migration.
In recent months, he's grown increasingly critical of the administration's military actions, drawing a direct rebuke from Trump on social media. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, an ally of Trump, intervened to call Trump's remarks unacceptable, making herself also a target for the U.S. president.
Leo's approach in handling the U.S. administration has been to hold his ground while not getting drawn into prolonged tit-for-tat with Trump. When asked about which team he would be rooting for in the World Cup, he gave a diplomatic answer.
"I will certainly support the U.S., though I am not sure how many games I will able to see," he responded. He made a point of saying Peru, a country he has affection for from his time as a missionary, and Italy, home to the Vatican, hadn't qualified and so he was also looking out for smaller countries.
This is one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the sporting calendar and tends to fire up nationalism among fans. This summer, though, the tournament is charged with more geopolitical tension than usual.
The U.S., Mexico and Canada are co-hosting over 39 days across 16 cities. But the neighbors are at odds on issues ranging from trade to migration and drug-trafficking.
The pope will be visiting Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands during his trip - the previous pope, an Argentine, had avoided coming to Spain. Bad Bunny also happens to be in town, drawing large crowds during his tour.
Leo showed a sense of humor in saying that it was hard to compete with the Puerto Rican singer and mega star.
"If they are confronted with the question ‘Do you want to go see Bad Bunny or do you want to go to see the pope?' I think many will see Bad Bunny," he said. "But I think there will also be a few here to see the pope. And that says something, you know."
While his enthusiasm for the USA football team came over as lukewarm, he was unequivocal on where he stood when it came to archrivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, and who he supported there: "That's obvious, but if I say it... the Pope is for all teams, but Prevost is for Real Madrid!"
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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 1:45 PM.