A recent proposal around a Vatican women’s national program drew renewed attention last week. Italian cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the abbot of St. Peter’s Basilica, spoke at a reception for the Catholic newspaper Avvenire in Potenza, replying to comments from Gabriele Gravina, head of the Italian Football Federation, who had been weighing the idea.
“There are 55 federations within the European Union and there is San Marino; it might be interesting to welcome a 56th federation,” Gravina suggested. Gambetti noted clear interest in the Vatican and described the enthusiasm as evident. He added that it might be easier to break into the Vatican women’s program than into the men’s, but stressed that any plan would require years of preparation. “We must start with the youth. It will take years,” he said. “Young players need to train harder so they can grow into the Italian national team.”
Observers around the Vatican did not miss the exchange. Football in the Vatican has a long history, noted Iacopo Scaramuzzi of La Repubblica. He recalled that the first documented match organized by observers from the Vatican dates back to 1521, and over the centuries there have been teams connected to Vatican institutions such as the Museums, the Swiss Guard, and the Gendarmerie, each fostering its own local competitions. (Attribution: La Repubblica, via Vatican sports history)
religion and sport
The current landscape already includes women’s teams tied to the Vatican’s central administration. For example, the Vatican runs a women’s squad connected to the Bambino Gesù hospital, and since 2019 another women’s team has represented Vatican circles, primarily made up of employees and their spouses. Yet the exact mechanics and funding for a Vatican national team remain undecided. It’s also worth noting that only a small portion of residents hold Vatican passports, and the community is largely male, factors that could shape how such a program would unfold. (Attribution: Vatican communications brief)
Historical tensions between sacred aims and secular sport have surfaced before. In 2019, a match organized by the Vatican team led by Eugene Tcheugoue, a player from Cameroon, facing local rivals, was canceled in Vienna. Tension arose when opponents wore shirts supporting abortion rights and LGBTQIA+ communities, prompting a protest from Vatican players. The incident highlighted the delicate balance between faith, tradition, and modern social values within Vatican athletics. (Attribution: Vatican sports archive)
cycling, taekwondo and cricket
Women’s participation extends beyond football to other sports within Vatican circles. The Vatican’s reach now includes disciplines overseen by the International Cycling Union and World Taekwondo, as well as the International Federation for spade sports. In January, a historic Vatican cricket team, the St. Peter’s Cricket Club, joined competitive play. This trend isn’t new in Rome, where theologians and scholars from Australia and the United Kingdom engaged in cricket around fifty years ago. The current wave includes players from Asia, notably Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, who have joined the Vatican’s sporting ranks. In recent years, Vatican teams have even hosted mixed or international sides, reflecting a broader, more inclusive approach to sport. A contemporary program, sometimes described as a “sports pilgrimage,” takes shape in various venues, including initiatives organized in Spain, bringing together faith and athletic pursuit in new ways. (Attribution: Vatican sports program records)