Estelle Denis admits missing Zidane's debut as France manager for papal vigil

Estelle Denis publicly acknowledged being « heavily mistaken » after choosing Pope Leo XIV’s vigil at Stade de France over Zinédine Zidane’s debut as France manager on Friday evening.

The journalist had nonetheless hosted a debate the previous day on her show Estelle Midi, discussing the question « Are we doing too much for the pope’s visit? », taking a skeptical stance. But the reality at Stade de Saint-Denis apparently caught up with her. « I was swept up by emotion watching the communion of all these young people at Stade de France (sorry Zizou I missed the first half) », she wrote on X. « Those images of joy, this immense and magnificent crowd, and especially those smiles moved me. I’m not a believer but I was captivated by this contagious happiness and it did me a world of good. »

In terms of viewership, however, the choice proved minority. France’s victory in Turkey, broadcast on TF1, attracted 6.8 million viewers — three times more than the papal vigil aired on France 2. Zidane thus largely dominated Leo XIV in French households, even if Denis herself had « split the difference ».

The new pope, the first American pontiff in history, is not entirely unrelated to football. Before the last World Cup, he declared his support for « without a doubt the United States ». He is also known for his attachment to Real Madrid.