More than 172 thousand tickets sold. Because Taranto also deserves a gold medal

The twentieth edition of the event closes with important numbersMediterranean Games di Taranto 2026. Indeed they were172,500 tickets soldoverall for the sporting event which officially concludes its program this evening.

In detail,32,855 ticketsthey covered the opening and closing ceremonies, while approx140 thousand admissionshave been registered for competitions in various sports disciplines. For football matches they were issued47,268 ticketswhile the overall collections reached1.17 million euros.

The data was illustrated byMassimo Ferraresepresident of the Organizing Committee of the Mediterranean Games, during the final press conference held in Taranto together withMerez Boussayenefirst vice-president of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games.

Over 600 transfers on the busiest days

Ferrarese also highlighted the impressive organizational machine put in place during the event. Between 24 and 27 August, days of greater presence of male and female athletes were heldover 600 transfersthrough a fleet composed of145 buses.

The vehicles guaranteed the constant connection between theMediterranean villageand the different competition venues, allowing the management of the movements of thousands of participants from all over the Mediterranean basin. “It was themost important event ever held in Southern Italy“he commentedFerrarese. Next to him, the director general of the Games,Carlo Molfettahighlighted the numbers that characterized an edition defined as “record-breaking”, both from a sporting point of view and from a media perspective and impact on the territory.

Taranto 2026, the record edition

“Taranto is the edition of records”, declared Molfetta, underlining how they were assigned overall931 medals e come 25 out of 26 countrieshave won at least one medal, a result never achieved in previous editions of the Mediterranean Games.

Among the most significant results stands out the performance of Italy who conquered224 medalsclearly surpassing the previous record set inBari 1997when the Italian haul stopped at 193 medals. The new record represents an increase of 31 medals.

A historic moment has also arrived forAndorrawhich won the first medal in its history in the Mediterranean Games in Taranto. Also noteworthy is the milestone achieved byTürkiyewho obtained his thousandth overall medal in the history of the competition in the Apulian event.

Over 10 thousand articles and 22 million social views

The numbers relating to the communication and international visibility of the event are also particularly relevant. As illustrated by Molfetta, the Games have generatedover 10 thousand articleson the Italian media, while contents and news were disseminated in50 different languagestestifying to the wide international resonance achieved by the event. On the television front, theRaiguaranteed more than150 hours of broadcasthelping to bring the competitions into the homes of millions of spectators. To these data are added i15 thousand visitors to the Fan Village e le oltre 22 million views on social networksrecorded in the month of August alone, confirming the strong involvement of the public also on digital platforms.

The impact on the territory and on tourism

The Mediterranean Games have produced significant results even outside of sporting competitions. Among the effects highlighted by the organizers are the8 thousand visitors to the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto (MarTa)the involvement of approximately3 thousand young athletesin collateral sporting initiatives and beyond90 thousand attendancesrecorded in the territorial events organized in parallel with the races. Numbers that confirm the role played by the event as a driving force for cultural, sporting and tourist promotion for the entire Ionian area.

Ferrarese’s thanks to the city

Ferrarese wanted to dedicate a particular passage to the city of Taranto and its citizens. “I have to thank the city of Taranto and the citizens of Taranto who opened this city and their arms to thousands of people who did not feel like guests, but felt at home”, he said. The president of the organizing committee also recognized the possible inconvenience caused by the organization of an event of such dimensions, apologizing to the citizens for any inconveniences that occurred during the Games. During his speech, Ferrarese recalled the decisive role played by the management team that supported him in the realization of the event. He in fact thanked the vice-presidentSandro Espositothe managing directorBruno Campanileoltre a Manfredi De Leo, Andrea Mancino, Francesco Romanelliand the deputy mayor of TarantoMattia Giornodefining them as fundamental protagonists of the organizational success of the event. Recognition was also given to the commissioner’s technical structure led by the engineerSilvio Scarcelliwhich followed the construction and adaptation of the sports facilities.

The choices that accelerated the work

Ferrarese finally explained how the achievement of the objectives was possible thanks to some decisions taken in the initial phases of the project to make up for lost time. “In some very important situations I have taken on significant responsibilities”, he declared, recalling that some tenders were started before the funds were available and that the designs started before obtaining all the necessary authorizations. According to the president of the organizing committee, these choices have made it possible to recover among thesix and eight monthson schedule, allowing infrastructure and organization to be completed in view of the opening of the 2026 Mediterranean Games.

Boussayene: “Gold medal also in Taranto”

“Congratulations to Italy and its athletes, but onegold medal also goes to Taranto“. With these words Merez Boussayene celebrated the success of the 2026 edition which involved approximately3,800 athletescoming from26 countriesfrom engaging in33 discipline sportive.

The vice-president of the International Committee has expressed his appreciation several times for the work carried out by Massimo Ferrarese, both as president of the Organizing Committee and in the role of Government commissioner for the construction of sports facilities.

“These sports facilities now continue to serve sport and young people”, declared Boussayene, also thanking the Government, the Puglia Region and the city of Taranto for the result achieved through an institutional collaboration which allowed the project to be completed on time.

The legacy of the systems for the territory

One of the aspects most underlined by the organizers concerns the heritage that the Games leave to the territory. The structures built or redeveloped for the event represent a resource destined to remain available to local communities, sports associations and future international competitions.

According to the organizers, the infrastructural investment constitutes one of the most significant legacies of the event, with positive repercussions on the sporting and social development of the city.

Filippousis: “Taranto today creates the future”

The intervention ofIakovos Philippousissecretary general of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games, who explained that he had participated for the first time in a final press conference of the Games.

Retracing the first meeting with Taranto in 2020, before the pandemic, Filippousis recalled a city grappling with important challenges related to crime, environmental problems, pollution and unemployment, underlining how many then wondered about the possibility that the Games could be successful.

According to the international manager, the event had a strong impact on the aspirations of the new generations and on the image of the city itself.

“Thanks to the Games, today Taranto is a different, modern, cutting-edge city equipped with sports infrastructure capable of hosting international events,” he said.

Sport, tourism and new identity for the city

Filippousis highlighted how the event contributed to making Taranto known throughout the world not only for sport, but also for its culture, the sea, its tourist heritage and its historical identity.

“The mentality has changed, there is a new sense of participation and confidence in the future”, he observed, underlining how the Games represented an international showcase for the entire territory.

In his final speech, the general secretary summarized the symbolic value of the event with a phrase intended to summarize the event’s legacy: “In 2020 Taranto was looking for the future, in 2026 Taranto creates the future. And this is the greatest medal”.