Published: 13 August 2026
Western Australia's Winter of Unmissable Sport has delivered strong tourism, media and economic outcomes, with Calcio Italiano’s three matches attracting more than 117,000 fans to Optus Stadium and HBF Park, generating significant global exposure for the state.
The Australian-exclusive football series featured iconic clashes between AC Milan, Inter Milan, Palermo and Juventus, drawing thousands of out-of-state visitors to Western Australia and reinforcing the state's reputation as a premier destination for major sporting events.
Calcio Italiano generated an estimated $110 million in global media value for Western Australia, with more than 4,100 media mentions across Australia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, UK and USA, with a reach of over 11 billion impressions.
The football festival extended beyond the matches, with tens of thousands of people attending the five-day Little Italy Festival, open training sessions, supporter events and club houses across Perth/Boorloo and Fremantle/Walyalup.
Supported by the WA Government through Tourism WA, Calcio Italiano formed a key part of the Winter of Unmissable Sport program, which has showcased a diverse lineup of world-class sporting events, helped drive visitation, support local jobs and businesses, and create vibrancy across the state.
Learn more about Western Australia's Winter of Unmissable Sport.