Pope Leo XIV jokes Bad Bunny would beat him for young fans in Madrid
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Pope Leo XIV joked Saturday that if young people had to choose between seeing him or Latin pop singer Bad Bunny this weekend, he knew who would win.
The Pope, who begins a week-long visit to Spain on Saturday, admitted that he competed for attention with the Puerto Rican superstar while in Madrid. He suggested that many young Spaniards would probably choose the Grammy-winning artist over the priest.
“If you say, ‘Do you want to see Bad Bunny or do you want to see the pope?’ What if they are faced with the question?’ I think a lot of people will see Bad Bunny,” Leo told reporters before arriving on the papal plane.
“But I think there will also be a few people here who come to see the pope,” he added. “And that’s saying something, you know.”
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Pope Leo XIV told reporters that if given the choice, many young people would choose to see Bad Bunny instead of the priest. (Mariano Regidor/Getty Images; Gregorio Borgia/AP)
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is currently performing 10 shows in Madrid as part of his Spanish tour.
Leo brought up this comparison when discussing what he described as signs of spiritual awakening among some young people in Spain.
The pope said many young adults are searching for meaning and expressed hope that his visit could help “awaken” something within them.
POPE LEO
Pope Leo XIV was first brought to the Vatican by Francis in January 2023 to serve as prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops; This is one of the most important positions in the Catholic Church as it vets bishop candidates published globally. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP)
Despite his words, thousands of young Catholics turned out to greet the pope.
An estimated 500,000 people gathered for a prayer vigil in a Madrid square on Saturday evening, chanting “This is the pope’s youth!” shouted slogans.
Leo then rode his papamobile through the crowd as the Spanish version of the 1970s musical “Godspell” played.
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Bad Bunny speaks during the Super Bowl LX halftime show press conference at Moscone Center on February 5, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
The Chicago-born pope was also asked about reports that the Chicago Bears may soon be leaving Illinois.
The team’s board of directors voted Thursday to move forward with a proposed stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana.
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“This is beyond my salary (scale),” Leo joked when asked about the potential relocation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
