Sports world mourns soccer-loving Pope Francis with games in Italy, Argentina postponed

Top-flight soccer matches in Italy and Argentina were postponed after the death of Pope Francis on Monday.

The Buenos Aires club that the Argentine pontiff supported throughout his life was also mourning its most famous fan.

The wider soccer and sports world paid homage after Francis died at 88.

All sports events scheduled for Easter Monday in Italy were postponed, including four Serie A games: Torino vs. Udinese, Cagliari vs. Fiorentina, Genoa vs. Lazio and Parma vs. Juventus. The games will now be played on Wednesday.

Likewise, three top-flight games in Argentina were postponed from Monday to Tuesday: Tigre vs. Belgrano, Argentinos Juniors vs. Barracas Central and Independiente Rivadavia vs. Aldosivi. The games will be preceded by a minute of silence to mourn Francis, who was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires before being elected pope.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he was "deeply saddened" over the Pope's death.

"I was privileged enough to spend some time with him on a couple of occasions, and he always shared his enthusiasm for football and stressed the important role our sport plays in society," Infantino said on Instagram. "All the prayers of the whole football world are with him."

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said "we are losing a great friend and supporter of the Olympic movement." Bach added that Francis' "support for the peace and solidarity mission of the Olympic Games and the many refugee initiatives of the IOC has been unwavering."

WATCH | Pope Francis dead at 88:

Pope Francis dead at 88

Francis's passion for soccer became known almost immediately after he was elected as the first pope from Latin America in 2013 when the Argentine club San Lorenzo tweeted a photo of him