calcio

Calcio is the Italian term for the sport of association football, commonly known in English as football or soccer. In Italy, calcio is the country’s most popular sport and a central part of its sports culture. The game in Italy is organized under the Federazione Italiana Giuoco del Calcio (FIGC), founded in 1898 and reorganized; the FIGC governs the national team, professional leagues, and youth competitions.

The top professional league is Serie A, which features 20 clubs and runs a season from late summer to spring. Serie A is complemented by lower divisions and the Coppa Italia, the national cup competition, along with the Supercoppa Italiana between the previous season's league and cup winners.

Italy's national team, known as the Azzurri, has won the FIFA World Cup on four occasions (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006). Italian clubs have enjoyed success in European competitions, with AC Milan, Juventus, and Inter among the most successful teams on the continent. The sport has produced a long list of notable players, coaches, and tactical innovations, and it maintains a strong youth development system through club academies and national programs.

The term calcio may also refer to calcium in Italian, a chemical element essential for bone and muscle health, illustrated by the symbol Ca on the periodic table. In context, calcio is almost always understood from the subject matter.