German Squad Hopes for Papal Inspiration

He has not been known for his interest in the game. But tomorrow the German pope, Benedict XVI, will bestow his blessing on the football World Cup tournament, which Germany is hosting next summer.

The Pope has invited Franz Beckenbauer, head of the 2006 Fifa World Cup organising committee, to visit him in the Vatican. Benedict XVI - whose predecessor played in goal before joining the priesthood - will meet Beckenbauer as well as other leading German football officials.

The audience follows a string of embarrassing performances by Germany, including a 2-1 defeat by Turkey this month, and a mediocre 1-0 win over China. Yesterday World Cup officials were reluctant to discuss whether the visit would give the squad a boost. "The Pope is a Bavarian. Franz Beckenbauer is a Bavarian. They know each other," a spokesman for the organising committee said.

Asked whether the blessing might give the German team an unfair advantage, the spokesman replied: "The audience is only likely to last five or 10 minutes. It's not a blessing as such but a general papal audience. The Pope will simply say hello."

Beckenbauer said: "We were relatively late in asking the Vatican for a meeting with the Holy Father, so we are extremely grateful and delighted that it has been made possible."

The visit to Rome is part of a "welcome tour" by Beckenbauer to the 31 nations, including England, that have already qualified for the tournament. The draw for the opening rounds of the World Cup will take place on December 9 in Leipzig.