Roberto Baggio helped draw a packed house to the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in New York City on Sunday, June 7, where an Italian-language Mass, a question-and-answer session and a FIFA Legends Match turned the church into a rare meeting place for faith, soccer and Italian heritage.
Sean Cabrera, who came from Brooklyn and was one of the first people in line, said the mix of the sport and the service felt unique, calling it “an ultra combination of dreams” and saying it let fans “meet these players” and “go to church” at the same time. By the time the doors opened, the line had already begun forming at 9 a.m., and the church filled with a sea of blue jerseys.
The day centered on Baggio, one of the fan favorites alongside Marco Materazzi and Giuseppe Rossi, and eight retired Italian soccer stars who took part in the Legends Match after the Mass. The players answered questions from children in Italian, giving the event a personal edge that went beyond a standard public appearance. FIFA organized the gathering with the Grow Together Foundation.
The church’s role in the city made the scene feel bigger than a one-off celebrity stop. Old St. Pat’s has served New York’s Italian-American community since the late 1800s, and it now offers an Italian-language Mass every Sunday alongside English and Spanish services. That history helped explain why the basilica was packed to the brim for a day built around Italian identity as much as soccer.
The celebration also landed at a moment when Italy’s national team has little to cheer in the global game. Italy will not play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualification playoff, which made the sight of retired stars in Manhattan feel like a consolation prize for supporters still looking for a connection to the national team. Gianni Infantino told the crowd the players “made our hearts beat,” while Andrew Guiliani said there was no better place for the event than Old St. Pat’s. The church’s Sunday Mass will continue, but the packed turnout raised a sharper question: whether this kind of rare gathering can keep pulling New York’s Italian soccer faithful back through the doors.
