Serie A’s wider international programme continued in Paris, where Fabio Cannavaro represented the league at Sial Paris 2026 alongside institutions promoting Italian food and agricultural businesses abroad.
Football and Italian excellence in Paris
Cannavaro, a Lega Calcio Serie A ambassador and captain of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning side, attended one of the world’s major professional food exhibitions as part of the league’s work to support leading Italian production chains at important international fairs.
- Serie A had already taken part in promotional activity in South America in September, with Roberto Baggio at the centre of those events.
- For the Paris appointment, Cannavaro joined ICE Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation at Sial Paris 2026.
- He toured the stands in the Italian pavilion and met the exhibitors and industry representatives present at the fair, receiving an enthusiastic welcome.
- Cannavaro then took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Matteo Zoppas, president of ICE Agency; Nicola Caputo, special envoy for food-sector exports and internationalisation on behalf of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani; Luigi Ferrelli, director of the ICE office in Paris; and Nicolas Lameyse, general director of Comexposium’s Food & Beverage division.
- After the ceremony, the former Italy defender thanked the institutions involved and offered his best wishes to the Italian companies continuing their work at the exhibition.
The role of Serie A ambassadors
Cannavaro underlined the value of promoting Made in Italy through figures who have carried the country’s colours around the world. His presence in Paris followed the same principle as the earlier initiative involving Baggio: using the standing of Italian football’s historic champions to support the international profile of Italian businesses.
For Serie A, the occasion was another reminder that the league’s ambassadors can operate beyond matchday. The championship remains rooted in its clubs and Sunday afternoons, but its former greats also retain a recognisable place in the broader story of Italy’s presence abroad.
