Pope Showdown: Argentina-Germany Match Drives Papal Controversies

Sunday's World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro will pit the home nations of the current pope and his immediate predecessor against one another in a showdown that has added religious intrigue to the highly anticipated match.

The Germans are widely seen as the favorite after beating Brazil 7-1 in the semifinals, but the Vatican's top man is currently Argentine.

Pope Francis is the first South American to occupy Catholicism's highest post, but he was preceded by a German, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

As such, some of the rabid soccer fans of both nations have turned to the figures to help their teams, and for guidance in a contest that will lead to epic glory for one country and heartbreak for the other.

The Vatican has tried to tamp down any fervor over tension between the two popes' nationalities, with Monsignor Melcher Sanchez de Tosca y Alameda of the Vatican's Council for Culture instead imploring the world to "have a pause for peace," following in the ancient Greek tradition of ceasing all wars and fighting during the Olympics, Reuters reports.

"Why not for the World Cup? Why not a pause, a moment of silence, a truce for peace?" he asked, going on to announce the creation of a new social media hashtag for the campaign, #PAUSEforPeace.

But simply putting aside differences may be a difficult thing for many soccer fans since the match is being hosted in Brazil, a nation of many Catholics and a fierce rivalry with Argentina.

Compounding the issue is the fact Pope Francis is a serious Argentina fan who long supported the San Lorenzo football club.

The Vatican did not say whether either pontiff would be watching the match.