Italian Football Legends Attend Moscow Event as Russia Launches Massive Missile Assault on Kyiv

On 27 May 2026, former Italy internationals Andrea Pirlo and Marco Materazzi appeared at “Football Day” in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. The celebration, organized by Fonbet—Russia’s largest betting company—featured exhibition matches, autograph sessions and appearances by former stars. Their presence coincided with the launch of one of Russia’s largest combined drone-and-missile strikes on Kyiv.

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Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022 and has continued with periodic large-scale attacks on civilian infrastructure. Fonbet announced Pirlo as a global ambassador in October 2025, a partnership that revived the betting firm’s ties to Italian football after Milan suspended its Russian agreement in 2023 as a solidarity gesture toward Ukraine.

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• Andrea Pirlo – former Juventus and Milan midfielder, now manager of United FC (Dubai).

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• Marco Materazzi – former Italy defender, World Cup champion.

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• Artem Dzyuba – Russian striker, former national team captain, photographed with Pirlo.

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• Fonbet – Russian betting company, organizer of the event and sponsor of the ambassadors.

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• Vladyslav Heraskevych – Ukrainian skeleton athlete, vocal critic of the event.

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• Pina Picierno – European Parliament vice-president (Italy’s Democratic Party).

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During the same day, Russian forces deployed approximately 600 drones and 90 missiles, including a third use of the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile. Reported casualties were at least four deaths and about 100 injuries among civilians.

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Pirlo asserted that the trip was “exclusively for sport and for the children,” emphasizing football’s capacity to unite people across borders. Materazzi echoed this view, stating the visit was a celebration of football’s universal language and that “the enthusiasm of children on the pitch is the only thing that matters.” European Parliament vice-president Picierno condemned the timing, arguing that money cannot purchase credibility or integrity. Ukrainian athlete Heraskevych described the attack as one of the largest and linked the footballers’ presence to moral failure. Fonbet’s partnership announcement framed Pirlo’s role as representing the brand in Russia and international markets.

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Social-media users labeled Pirlo a “partner of dirty Russian money,” while Ukrainian commentators called the legends “moral bankrupts.” The criticism focused on the perceived endorsement of a regime conducting indiscriminate attacks on civilians. The event’s pro-Kremlin performances and the presence of Dzyuba, who publicly expressed pride in being Russian, intensified the backlash.

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• “Today was one of the largest Russian attacks, during which 600 drones and 90 missiles were launched at Ukraine,’’ Heraskevych wrote on X.” — Vladyslav Heraskevych, Ukrainian skeleton athlete

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• “Also today, Italian football legend Andrea Pirlo was spotted in Moscow next to Russian footballer Dzyuba, who openly supports the Kremlin’s policy and the killing of Ukrainians. It’s sad to see childhood legends turn into moral bankrupts for whom nothing is more valuable than Russian roubles. Shame.” — Vladyslav Heraskevych

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• “It can even, incredibly, lead a sports champion to sign footballs in Moscow at the very same moment that regime is indiscriminately killing civilians and threatening European countries.” — Pina Picierno, European Parliament vice-president

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• “ Materazzi said: “We are here for a celebration of football, to meet the fans and to show that the ball speaks a universal language.” — Marco Materazzi

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The sources uniformly report at least four fatalities and about 100 injuries from the Kyiv strike; no alternative casualty figures are provided. Russian authorities offered no comment on the footballers’ attendance, leaving a gap in official justification for the event’s timing. Additionally, while the ambassadors’ statements deny political intent, critics cite the simultaneous launch of a major attack as evidence of implicit endorsement, a point not directly addressed by the participants.

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