Pope Leo Meets Latin Superstar Bad Bunny On Sidelines Of Spain Visit

MADRID, June 10 (NNN-dpa) -- Pope Leo XIV met Latin superstar Bad Bunny on the sidelines of his visit to Spain, with the private encounter taking place after a Madrid church event at the Santiago Bernabéu football stadium, German Press Agency (dpa) reported, citing Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni on Tuesday.

Bruni said Leo and the Puerto Rican singer had spoken late on Monday evening "shortly before he [the pope] left the stadium," confirming earlier media reports.

Spanish broadcaster RTVE and other media had reported that Leo greeted Bad Bunny, his family, and other members of his entourage at the stadium of Spanish club Real Madrid. 

In total, the pope met nearly a dozen other prominent figures in the Spanish capital, including Real Madrid president and construction magnate Florentino Pérez. 

No images of the encounter with Bad Bunny were initially released. 

Bad Bunny is currently in Madrid for a series of concerts. The 32-year-old artist is performing on 10 evenings between May 30 and June 15 at the Metropolitano stadium, with around 66,000 visitors expected each night, meaning the total audience across the concert series is expected to reach around 660,000.

Leo had already made a joking reference to the musician's popularity on the flight to Spain. 

"If they are confronted with the question, do they want to see Bad Bunny or do they want to see the pope, I think many will see Bad Bunny," the 70-year-old US pontiff said.

He also expressed confidence that large numbers of the faithful would attend his events in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands.

--NNN-dpa