Baggio, Vieri and the Italian legends in Toronto: the embrace of the Italian fans

Hundreds, or rather thousands, dressed in blue to welcome our national team. An atypical selection, put together for the occasion. Italy missed the third World Cup and our compatriots who live between New York and Toronto, home to two of the largest communities in the world, didn’t go down well. The disappointment is also overseas. This is why FIFA president Gianni Infantino, of Calabrian origins, wanted the blue glories to be here. A moment of sporting joy amidst the bitterness of failed qualification.

WHAT A GROUP

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Here then is Baggio, clearly the most acclaimed, Vieri, Nesta, Ambrosini, Zaccardo, Panucci, Pagliuca, Iaquinta. Giovinco joined. All together they flew here to reciprocate our communities of affection. First appointments in Toronto, with a greeting to the gathered Italians and then a six-on-six challenge with the Canadian legends at the Ontario Soccer Stadium in Vaughan, a few kilometers from Toronto. One of the largest Italian communities in all of North America lives here: of 320 thousand inhabitants, 84 thousand are our compatriots.

NEW YORK

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Crowd for everyone: photos, autographs, real stadium cheering. Our national team would have made its debut right here in Toronto, on June 12th. The initiative continues: the blue group will move to New York. Dinner in St Patrick’s Cathedral, reserved exclusively for Italian legends, Sunday afternoon the match against the old glories of the United States. Materazzi and maestro Pirlo will also join.