Pope Leo XIV says Bad Bunny will likely outdraw him among Spanish youth

Pope Leo XIV told reporters Saturday that Puerto Rican reggaeton star Bad Bunny's two concurrent Madrid shows will probably draw more young Spaniards than his own weeklong papal tour, making a candid admission aboard the papal plane en route to Spain.

The admission underscores the challenge of reaching a younger, secularized Spanish audience, as Leo's weeklong trip aims to bring a message of unity to a country deeply polarized by political and church scandals.

"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. But I think there will also be a few here to see the pope. And that says something, you know," the pope said to reporters aboard the papal plane, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Leo — an American-born Chicago native whose birth name is Prevost — began his weeklong tour with stops planned in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands. He said young Spaniards are sensing a lack of meaning in their lives and expressed hope his visit might spark something spiritually in them.

Bad Bunny is performing two Madrid shows this weekend as part of a 10-concert Spanish tour, with dates falling directly alongside Leo's appearances in the capital. The overlap drew immediate questions from the press pool.

Asked whether he would support Real Madrid or Barcelona during his stay, the pope drew laughter from reporters. "The pope is for all teams, but Prevost is Real Madrid," he said. He also confirmed he would root for the United States in the upcoming World Cup.

When pressed for words of consolation for Illinois following the Chicago Bears board's vote to relocate the NFL franchise to Hammond, Indiana, Leo responded with characteristic wit: "That's out of my pay (scale)," he said.

Leo's Spanish tour continues through the week with scheduled appearances in Barcelona and the Canary Islands, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.