Every country’s cricket journey has its own starting point, and for Italy, it began far away from packed stadiums and the television spotlight. Interestingly, cricket in Italy is far older than the first Italian football club. Geneo, a historic port city, played a key role in introducing the sport to the nation in the late 18th century, when the British sailors and traders brought cricket to Italy through maritime trade routes.
It was reported that the first recorded match on Italian soil dates back to 1793, organized by British Admiral Horatio Nelson to keep the sailors physically active while docked at Naples Harbour. In 1820, the Rome Cricket Club was established, marking one of the earliest organised cricket structures in the country.
73 years later, in 1893, Geneo Cricket and Athletic Club, Italy’s oldest football club, was founded initially to play cricket in summer and football in winter. AC Milan, one of the most popular Italian clubs and seven-time European champions, was established as the Milan Football and Cricket Club in 1899.
From 1793 to 1899 and beyond, Italian cricket, which existed in pockets, including Genoa, Rome, and Milan, was introduced early, structured sporadically, and never fully embraced at the international level.