In a heartfelt match, Renzi imitates Berlusconi. The Pope's video: "Politics should unite rather than divide."

Ball-playing and impersonations on the sidelines at the Gran Sasso d'Italia stadium in L'Aquila during the 2025 Match of the Heart. The match is between the national singers' team and the national politicians' team. Matteo Renzi imitates Senate President Ignazio La Russa , the politicians' coach like last year , and impersonator Ubaldo Pantani imitates the leader of Italia Viva. The latter, unleashed, then indulged in an old favorite: an imitation of Silvio Berlusconi .

The two national teams take to the field. Politicians are bipartisan. In their footballing attire: Speaker of the Chamber Lorenzo Fontana , Ministers of Sport Andrea Abodi , Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti , Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli and Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, Deputy Speaker of the Chamber Anna Ascani , Democratic Senator Francesco Boccia , Forza Italia Senator Maurizio Gasparri , IV leader, and Senate Vice President Licia Ronzulli . Absent are M5S President Giuseppe Conte and Democratic Party Secretary Elly Schlein , who last year was the protagonist of the embrace with Renzi . The leader of Italy is now joking about it: "Elly isn't here, Conte isn't here, don't ask me to hug La Russa, please." "Evidently Renzi was joking because he was the first to come and hug me," the Senate President replied.

Like every year, the national politicians' team will compete against the national singers' team to raise funds for the "Welcome Project," organized by the Bambino Gesù Foundation and Caritas Italiana, which provides food, shelter, and material support to the families of hospitalized children from all over Italy and abroad.

"We're all united together for a good cause. There are needs that politics can't ignore, and artists and the national singing team are leading by example. Culture is more important than physical fitness," Giuli said.

According to Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, "together and united, we will win by a narrow margin again this year." Last year, again in L'Aquila, the politicians won on penalties. Miss Italy Ofelia Passaponti was also present.

Pope Leo XIV 's moving video message, recorded at Castel Gandolfo for the match, calls for "a truce, a time to stop the pursuit of hatred. Our humanity is at stake." "It is still possible to meet, even in a time of division, bombs, and wars. We must create opportunities to do so. To challenge divisions and recognize that this is the greatest challenge: meeting. It is significant that two teams are playing today, one of politicians and one of singers. It tells us that politics can unite rather than divide, if it is not satisfied with propaganda that feeds on the creation of enemies, but engages in the difficult and necessary art of confrontation, which seeks the common good," the pontiff concluded in the video broadcast on Rai Uno. "And it also reminds us how music enriches our words and our memories with meaning; from the time we, as children, began to speak and remember. Children—to whom this meeting of yours is dedicated—know these things. They have the purity of heart that allows them to see God."

On and off the pitch, many singers and artists got the whole stadium singing and dancing, including Gabry Ponte, Sal Da Vinci, Orietta Berti and Fabio Rovazzi, Riccardo Fogli, Arisa, Gaetano Curreri, and Stadio, along with a tribute to Mogol 's career by maestro Diego Basso . Also on the pitch were the duo Benji and Fede, who scored the first two goals.