White Sox advance to playoffs, Pope Leo XIV laughs, saying "big things always happen in Chicago"

On September 23, 2026, a fan of the Chicago White Sox of the Major League Baseball held a White Sox flag high when Roman Catholic Pope Leo XIV appeared to meet with believers in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. (AP)

[Compiled by Zhang Peiyuan/Comprehensive Report] The Chicago White Sox, the Major League Baseball (MLB) team that has the strongest fan in history - Roman Catholic Pope Leo XIV (Pope Leo), may be able to create a miracle this year and secure its first MLB playoff ticket since 2021. However, Leo XIV, a die-hard White Sox fan, did not want to reveal whether he had asked "God" for help for his beloved team.

On the 25th, when Leo XIV was asked whether the White Sox's success in ranking second in the MLB (American League Central Division) was due to some kind of "papal intervention" from God, he told reporters: "No comment." But Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in history, smiled and added: "There are always big things happening in Chicago."

Leo XIV, formerly known as Robert Prevost, was born in Chicago, the second largest city in the United States, and was a loyal fan of the White Sox. Shortly after he was elected as the Pope in May 2025, a video was circulated on the Internet, showing Prevost cheering for the White Sox in the 2005 MLB championship game. The White Sox won the American League championship against the National League champion "Houston Astros" (Houston Astros), and finally won the championship with 4 consecutive victories.

Leo XIV was in France this weekend, and while flying from Rome to Paris, he was asked about the White Sox's performance this season.

The White Sox traveled to the Kansas City Royals on the 24th and relied on their strong offensive line to defeat the Royals 9-1, winning their first playoff ticket in five years. Vatican officials did not comment on whether anyone saw Leo XIV watching the game on television from his residence in the Apostolic Palace that night.