As part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of Fondazione AIRC, the Azzurri are renewing and strengthening their support for Un Gol per la Ricerca (“A Goal for Research”), AIRC’s historical campaign promoted in partnership with FIGC, Lega Serie A, Enilive, AIA, and with the support of sports media outlets.

In their final two World Cup qualifying matches, against Moldova (Thursday, 13 November, in Chișinău) and Norway (Sunday, 16 November, in Milan), the Azzurri will continue to pass on the message first promoted by the Serie A Enilive players during matchday eleven, uniting the world of football in support of more than 5,000 researchers working in over a hundred institutions across Italy to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Head coach Gennaro Gattuso and all the national team players will invite fans and supporters to join the team of those who believe in research, scoring goals to make cancer increasingly curable, by donating via SMS or landline at 45521 or online at airc.it.

Team Un Gol per la Ricerca, led by Gianluigi Buffon, unites researchers, volunteers, ambassadors, partners, donors, and people who have battled with the disease. Among the AIRC ambassadors showing their support are Francesco Acerbi, Lorenzo De Silvestri, and Claudio Marchisio, once again wearing the AIRC shirt and using their social platforms to share information about prevention and the value of scientific research.

AIRC is Italy’s leading non-profit organisation funding cancer research, providing around 70% of total funds for competitive research projects. All investments that have led to tangible results. Today, roughly 50% of those diagnosed with cancer recover. However, the rate of many types of cancer remains high: last year alone, over 390,000 new diagnoses were recorded in Italy, more than a thousand every day. Continued investment is therefore vital to ensure sustained resources for the doctors and researchers dedicated to developing earlier diagnoses and more effective treatments. (Source: AIOM, The Numbers of Cancer in Italy 2024)

The only way to win the match against cancer is to play on the same team, with a single shared goal: to score for research that saves lives.