Pope Francis meets Copa Libertadores winners San Lorenzo

Pope Francis greets San Lorenzo football team players holding the Copa Libertadores they won last week at the Vatican on 20 August, 2014AP

The players presented the large silver trophy to the Pope, who is a life-long supporter of the club

Pope Francis has been presented with the Copa Libertadores trophy by players and officials of Argentine side San Lorenzo.

The pontiff has supported the Buenos Aires-based team since he was a boy.

A delegation travelled from the Argentine capital to the Vatican with the trophy.

San Lorenzo recently won the Copa - South American club football's most prestigious competition - for the first time in the club's 106-year history.

Pope Francis greets San Lorenzo football team players holding the Copa Libertadores they won last week at the Vatican on 20 August, 2014AFP

San Lorenzo has gone from strength to strength since Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope

San Lorenzo players hold up the trophy after winning the Copa Libertadores 2014 final second leg football match against Nacional in Buenos Aires on 13 August, 2014AFP

On Wednesday they lifted the Copa Libertadores

Pope Francis holds a jersey of Argentine soccer team San Lorenzo, given to him as a gift from members of the team, during the Wednesday general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on 18 December, 2013Reuters

And in December they won the Argentine championship

A San Lorenzo player takes a picture of Pope Francis, before his general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican on 20 August, 2014.AFP

Players took photos of their most famous fan before handing him the trophy, which he held for a few minutes

Earlier in the week, Pope Francis said: "I am very happy about it, but, no, it is not a miracle.

"For me, San Lorenzo was the team all my family supported. My father played in the basketball team and when we were kids, we sometimes went to the stadium with mum," he added.

San Lorenzo beat Paraguay's Nacional 1-0 on 13 August to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory.

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