In Wrocław, Italy narrowly lost to Israel (8–9), earning a historic silver medal at the 2025 Men’s European Lacrosse Championship — a competition whose Sixes format will become an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Led by head coach Brian Vona, the Azzurri reached their first international final after dominating Group D (14–8 over Greece, 15–9 over France, 15–4 over Denmark, and 19–6 over Slovakia), defeating the Czech Republic (18–9) in the quarterfinals and Ireland (10–8) in the semifinals. They fiercely contested the title until the final minute against the strong Israeli team, which had previously eliminated reigning champions England in the semifinals. Beyond securing an unexpected European runner-up title, the Italian campaign in Poland also earned them a spot at the 2027 World Championships in Japan and confirmed the remarkable growth of Italian lacrosse. The team now hopes to replicate its progress in the Olympic Sixes format, mirroring its performance in the continent’s premier Field tournament. “We were a great team, improving with every match, and the only loss came in the final,” said Italian attacker John Piatelli, the tournament's top scorer with 27 goals. “I'm very emotional because with this silver medal, we've made history. This is the beginning of the future for Italian lacrosse. I'm sure this sport will become more and more practiced and followed in Italy”.