More than 60,000 users in Italy are playing Fantapapa, an online video game inspired by fantasy football that requires players to assemble a team of cardinals whom they believe have the best chance of becoming the next pope.

Rome

More than 60,000 users in Italy are participating in Fantapapa, a game designed to predict the next pope. Inspired by popular fantasy games like Fanta Calcio and Fanta Sanremo, Fantapapa involves assembling a team of 11 cardinals. Among these, one is chosen as the captain, deemed the most likely to become pope, while another is selected as the goalkeeper, perceived as the least likely.

In the upcoming conclave, over 100 cardinals will convene in the Sistine Chapel to elect the successor to Pope Francis. While the process remains secretive, many are betting on who they believe the next pontiff will be. Leading picks among players include Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, closely followed by Archbishop Matteo Maria Zuppi of Bologna, and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.



Thousands in Italy play Fantapapa - game to predict the next pope

More than 60,000 people in Italy are playing Fanta Papa, an online game where users try to predict the next Pope. The creators of the game felt inspired by the success of other fantasy video games such as fantasy football game Fanta Calcio and song contest game Fanta Sanremo. You have to choose 11 cardinals, the ones that you think are the most likely to win. You choose one of these 11, you choose a captain, who you imagine to be the one with the most probability of being Pope, and then you choose a goalkeeper, which is the opposite, the one that is the least likely of all. Next week, over 100 cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis' successor. The process, known as the conclave, is shrouded in mystery, but players have been betting on who they think the next pontiff will be. Players' top choices on the game have been Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, closely followed by Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, and thirdly, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Taglia.

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Kyiv

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