Pope adorns sports magazine cover

Pope Leo XIV adorns the new digital cover of Sports Illustrated. The front of the American sports magazine, released on Tuesday, November 3, local time, shows the 71-year-old church leader holding a golden basketball, reports the news agency KNA. The photo was taken last weekend when Leo XIV received basketball players from the Catholic American universities Notre Dame and Villanova in the Vatican's audience hall. The University of Villanova is where the Pope himself studied during his academic years.

With a circulation of approximately 400,000 copies per month, Sports Illustrated is considered one of the largest sports magazines in the USA. Each year, the swimsuit edition receives significant attention, featuring renowned artists and models such as Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks, and Salma Hayek on its cover.