The world’s oldest person identified as a soccer-loving nun

A football lover The nun from Brazil is believed to have become the world’s oldest living person at nearly 117 years old, crediting her steadfast Catholic faith for her longevity.

LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks supercentenarians around the globe, published a statement on Saturday that declared Sister Inah Canabarro as the oldest person in the world, validated by the first records of life.

The wheelchair-bound nun has been crowned the world’s oldest person after Tomiko Itooka died in Japan at the age of 116 on December 26, 2024.

Her grandson spends time with her every Saturday and sends her voicemails between visits to keep her spirits up after the elderly woman had two hospitalizations.

“The other sisters say she gets a shock when she hears my voice,” she said. “She gets excited.”

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In this photo released by LongeviQuest, Sister Inah Canabarro, 116, puts her hands in prayer, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on Friday, February 16, 2024. (Carlos Macedo/LongeviQuest, via AP)

Canabarro was born on June 8, 1908 in a large family in the south of Brazilaccording to LongeviQuest researchers. But her grandson said her birth was registered two weeks late and she was actually born on May 27, 1908.

When he was a teenager, he returned to religious work and spent two years there in Montevideo, Uruguaybefore moving to Rio de Janeiro and eventually settling in his state of Rio Grande do Sul.

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For her 110th birthday, she was honored by Pope Francis. She is the second oldest nun on record after Lucile Randon, who was the world’s oldest person until her death in 2023 at the age of 118.

Pope Francis holds a rosary during the Mass for the closing of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on October 29, 2023. (Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Along with his commitment to his lifelong faith, she is dedicated to the local football club Inter. The club, which was founded after the birth of Canabarro, celebrates his birthday every year as the oldest fan.

His room is decorated with gifts in the team’s red and white colors, his nephew said.

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“White or black, rich or poor, whoever you are, Inter is the team of the people,” he said in a video posted on social media celebrating his 116th birthday with the club president.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.