Watching Francisco Cervelli leap into the arms of his players, a huge smile across his face and pure jubilation in the air, may become one of the defining images of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
It’s a glimpse into the raw emotion of the selfless leader who has guided Italy into what may very well become a new golden era of Italian baseball.
Making the quarterfinals after going 4-0 in pool play, including a stunning victory over the United States on American soil, was already enough to put an exclamation point on this moment in time.
“It’s like watching a movie,” said Carmine Gangone, President of the Italian American Baseball Foundation, which has been instrumental in building partnerships and support between Italy and the U.S. through baseball. “We’re living a movie.”
But when Italy defeated Puerto Rico, 8–6, extending its perfect run in the tournament and advancing to Monday night’s semifinal in Miami, the Azzurri pushed this run into uncharted territory. This is now the greatest performance in Italian international baseball history.
Italy has won more European championships than any other nation and has competed in several international tournaments, including every edition of the World Baseball Classic. But nothing has ever come close to this moment.
At the center of it all is a four-headed brain trust: Marco Mazzieri, Francisco Cervelli, and Ned Colletti, alongside a proud captain and power hitter in Vinnie Pasquantino. Together, they built this ship, navigated it through the first round, into the Elite Eight, and now into the Final Four.
Cervelli has become the face of the movement. Every question he answers returns to the same theme: growing the game in Italy.
He often speaks about driving more than 15,000 kilometers across the country, visiting clubs and ballfields as part of the national development program. He talks about the U-12, U-15, U-18, and U-23 programs with the same passion he brings to this elite senior roster.
That is leadership. That is what is guiding this movement.
This is not just a flash-in-the-pan tournament run. It is a living, breathing, and marketable moment that inspires kids, energizes parents, and brings global visibility to the game and to the country that wears the Azzurri.
Baseball in Italy traces back to the 1940s, when American servicemen brought the game with them during World War II. The sport took root and never left. How fitting, then, to watch Italian Americans and Italian-born players, like Samuel Aldegheri, come together and turn an underdog into a Cinderella story.
More than 80 years ago, soldiers and locals were simply hitting baseballs around Nettuno and Anzio in the wake of war. They could never have imagined this moment. So this run is also for the men who served and brought bats and baseballs with them.
It is for Babylon, New York native Horace McGarity, who oversaw the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Nettuno and became known as the Father of Italian Baseball after organizing leagues, teaching the fundamentals, and helping produce the country’s first rulebook.
It is for Italian natives like Alberto “Toro” Rinaldi, who was the first Italian native to ink a pro contract when he signed with the Reds in 1965. He watched from Italy and felt immeasurable pride as this team put Italy back on the map.
It is for legends like Joe DiMaggio and Tony Lazzeri, who helped break stereotypes at a time when Italian immigrants were often marginalized as they tried to build new lives in America.
And it is for Marco Mazzieri, who has dedicated his life to the game as a player, coach, and now leader of the Federation of Italian Baseball and Softball. He had the vision to bring Cervelli into the fold, appoint Colletti, and build relationships with players like Pasquantino to form what has become a modern Italian baseball dream team.
Because make no mistake, this is a dream. One we do not want to see end.
The sport’s previous high-water mark came in the 1970s and 1980s, when Italy dominated European competition. During that period, the country invested significantly in baseball infrastructure. Stadiums were built across the peninsula, including Nettuno, Parma, Bologna, and Rimini. Facilities improved. Youth programs expanded. For a time, Italy was not just Europe’s best baseball nation. It was building a system that could sustain the sport for generations.
Many of those same stadiums are still in use today. But time has taken its toll. The game in Italy, while still deeply loved, has been passed by in the global race for development and visibility.
What it needed was a shot in the arm. Or, dare I say, a shot of espresso. This week at the World Baseball Classic delivered exactly that jolt.
There is still baseball left to play, so the deeper strategic discussion about how Italy and Italian Americans can capitalize on this moment can wait. For now, to all my fellow paisans in Italy, in America, and across the world, enjoy this moment. Relish it.
Because we are witnessing the dawn of a new golden age of Italian baseball.
Chris R. Vaccaro is a senior editorial advisor for World Baseball Network, VP of the Italian American Baseball Foundation, and the U.S. press liaison for the Federation of Italian Baseball and Softball.
