The Pope has been invited by Barcelona president Sandro Rosell to watch a match at the Camp Nou.

Pope Francis, who is from Argentina, is understood to have been contacted by a number of clubs since his election last month.

"As president of Barcelona it is an honour to share with you more than football as our common interest, as the matching colours of our teams are more than evident," Rosell wrote in an open letter published in El Mundo Deportivo.

"I would welcome you to attend to watch a match from the box at Camp Nou and enjoy our players, mainly your fellow compatriots [Lionel] Messi and [Javier] Mascherano, who have supported this greeting by their signature on this letter."

The head of the Catholic church is a keen supporter of his hometown club San Lorenzo.