The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral was packed to the brim with a sea of blue jerseys on Sunday, June 7, for a celebration of community, faith and Italian heritage. Outside, the smell of fresh pizza and Italian chatter filled the street.
The Italian language Mass served as the kickoff to a day-long event that also included a Q&A and a FIFA Legends Match featuring eight retired Italian soccer stars. The event was organized by FIFA in collaboration with the Grow Together Foundation, a local nonprofit that offers Italian language classes and sports camps for youth in New York City.
People began queueing at 9 a.m. for a chance to get into the church and see their favorite players.
“Personally, it’s an ultra combination of dreams,” said Sean Cabrera, a fan who came from Brooklyn to be one of the first in line at Old St. Pat’s. “The fact that it combines [soccer] with the Catholic faith…. You get to meet these players [and] you get to go to church.”
The line eventually stretched all the way down the block, and many who did not get into the church stayed crowded on Mott Street during the Mass with hopes of spotting the famous players. Of those in attendance, fan favorites included Roberto Baggio, Marco Materazzi and Giuseppe Rossi. Many fans were wearing their jerseys. The players answered questions from children in Italian after the Mass.
“My favorite soccer team is Italy, obviously,” said William Capparelli, one of the many who lined up in advance of the Mass. He added that he roots for Team USA as a second choice after his primary allegiance.
Group picture before the FIFA Legends match at the Italian-American celebration on June 7, 2026, in New York City. Credit: Ira L. Black – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
For Mr. Capparelli and other Italian soccer fans, Sunday’s game was a valuable opportunity, as it was the only time Italian players would set foot on the field this summer. The team will not be competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup since they were eliminated after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina during a qualification playoff.
Alongside the players, representatives from Italy’s consulate; Italy’s minister for disabilities, Alessandra Locatelli; and the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, all attended the Mass and delivered speeches.
“They [the players] made our hearts beat, and they continue to make our hearts beat,” said Mr. Infantino. “They make us proud of being Italian.”
The event was also attended by Andrew Guiliani, who is serving as executive director of the White House task force on the FIFA World Cup 2026. He highlighted the cultural importance of Old St. Pat’s, which has appeared in classic films by Italian-American directors Martin Scorsese, who grew up in the surrounding Little Italy area, and Francis Ford Coppola. The church, which has been a center for New York’s Italian-American community since the late 1800s, offers Italian language Mass every Sunday in addition to its English and Spanish Masses.
“When you think about what Old St. Pat’s means to New York, I couldn’t think of a better place to actually do this,” Mr. Giuliani said.
The Mass also held a spiritual significance for attendees. Francesco, a young fan in attendance, moved to New York City from Albania with his family 15 years ago. Though they did not manage to get into the jam-packed church, the 17-year-old fan of the Italian league soccer club Roma was hopeful that the event would show not just the presence of soccer fandom in the United States, but also the relevance of the Catholic faith.
“The church is having a revival in America, especially now, and I really hope to see more people go to church and Mass,” he said.
Father Luigi Portarulo, affectionately known by the community as Don Luigi, celebrated the Mass and serves as the parochial vicar to the Italian community of Old St. Pat’s. Originally from southern Italy, he worked in the Vatican before coming to New York in 2022. Father Portarulo is also the co-founder of the Grow Together Foundation.
Young fans wait outside Old St. Pat’s for a chance to celebrate Mass with their favorite players. Credit: Nora Malone
“I wanted to invite people…because we created this beautiful community around the Mass,” he said. “The Mass is the center of our faith and to invite people [here] with our Italian legends…was a very beautiful moment.”
Father Portarulo is also a former player for Vatican City’s national soccer team and took to the field alongside the legends.
The game was held at Columbia University’s Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium in upper Manhattan. The legends played a 7-on-7 match against a group of representatives of the Italian-American community of New York.
Before kickoff, both the Italian and American national anthems were played, a reminder that the event came at a special time in the history of both countries, with the Republic of Italy celebrating its 80th anniversary on June 2 and the United States approaching its 250th anniversary in July.
The game began with a goal from the Legends team, but by halftime the community team was leading 4-3. In the second half, the liveliness continued, with shouts of “Andiamo!” (“Let’s go!”) from both sides of the pitch and players diving for the ball, including one save by Legends goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca that left him starfished on the ground.
In the end, the Legends won 6-5, but the crowd did not play favorites when it came to the Legends or the community teams—goals from both teams were met with equally loud cheers. If there was a favorite, it was perhaps Father Portarulo, whose goal for the Legends team during the first half sparked some of the loudest cheers of the match.
While disappointed that he would not see Italy in the World Cup in 2026, Mr. Rossi, who grew up in New Jersey, reflected on the value of community events like the Legends match after the game.
“I think it’s great for us [players] to just get to know what is out there, not only in the big cities and in big stages, but also coming to a field like this and seeing all these young kids screaming and having a great time,” he said.
“That’s exactly what soccer is all about.”
Related
