President Michael D Higgins crossed paths with soccer legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic while in Rome to meet Pope Leo XIV on Sunday. This morning, President Higgins and his wife Sabine met with Pope Leo XIV at his inaugural mass at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. President Higgins shook Pope Leo's hand and exchanged pleasantries with the new Pope, who took over the role after Pope Francis passed away last month. President Higgins was one of many state leaders to meet the Pope, as was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was set to meet the Pope for a longer meeting after the mass. During the mass, Pope vowed to avoid the "temptation to be an autocrat" before promising not to use "religious propaganda" during his reign. After the mass, President Higgins met with football icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The former Swedish striker holds the role of being a senior advisor to the owners of AC Milan, the club which he spent many years playing for. The pair met today before Milan's crunch game with Roma in Serie A. President Higgins is a well known football fan and is often seen attending League of Ireland games involving his beloved Galway United. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email.