Key Takeaways
- The FITP surpassed the FIGC for the first time in history, becoming Italy’s largest sports federation with 1,162,477 registered members in 2024.
- Official CONI data reported by Il Sole 24 Ore shows tennis and padel captured 20.2% of all national sporting registrations compared to football’s 19.5%.
- Italy recorded an overall high of 6,069,891 federation memberships in 2024, with FITP expanding further to 1,254,153 registered athletes in 2025.
Historic milestone sees tennis and padel eclipse football
In a major shift within Italian sport, the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation (FITP) has officially become the nation’s largest sporting body by membership, surpassing the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) for the first time.
The landmark change was documented in the latest official figures from the CONI-FnsDsa monitoring report and reported by financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore. The comprehensive census details participation across 48 national sports federations, 15 associated disciplines, and 14 promotional bodies, evaluating the sporting landscape using finalized 2024 data.
Surge in participation pushes FITP past football
Italian sports registration established a record high of 6,069,891 athletes in 2024, marking a 7.7% rise compared to 2023. At the forefront of that expansion, the FITP reached 1,162,477 registered members, representing 20.2% of all federal registrations nationwide.
By comparison, the FIGC recorded 1,123,054 registered athletes, accounting for 19.5% of the national aggregate. Journalist Marco Bellinazzo highlighted that the governing bodies were separated by roughly 40,000 members in the official CONI statistics, while noting that FITP membership expanded further to 1,254,153 registered participants in 2025.
How Italy’s leading sports rank by membership
Behind tennis and football, other major sporting federations remain well back in participation numbers, with volleyball and basketball occupying third and fourth place respectively.
| Sport | Federation | 2024 Registered Members |
|---|---|---|
| Tennis and Padel | FITP | 1,162,477 |
| Football | FIGC | 1,123,054 |
| Volleyball | FIPAV | 359,797 |
| Basketball | FIP | 320,769 |
| Athletics | FIDAL | 292,599 |
The gap between the top two organizations and the rest of the field remains substantial. Volleyball logged 359,797 members, basketball accounted for 320,769, and athletics registered 292,599 participants during the 2024 monitoring period.
