Mario Ceroli's 16m sculpture 'Goal' collapses in Rome's Flaminio district

On June 23, 2025, at approximately 9 AM, Mario Ceroli's monumental sculpture 'Goal' collapsed in the Villaggio Olimpico area of Rome's Flaminio district, near the MAXXI Museum and Auditorium Parco della Musica. The 16-meter-tall, 35-ton artwork made of Russian pine wood and galvanized steel had been fenced off for years due to structural decay. No injuries were reported. The sculpture was created for the 1990 FIFA World Cup and had been relocated multiple times: originally installed in the EUR district, later donated to the city of Rome, and moved to Piazza Apollodoro in 2001. In early 2011, the Sovrintendenza ai Beni Culturali di Roma Capitale added metal tie rods and reinforcements, but no further restoration was undertaken. Local residents and Artribune had repeatedly denounced the artwork's deterioration. Rino Fabiano, environmental assessor for the II municipality, criticized the Sovrintendenza Capitolina for inaction, noting that Ceroli himself had offered to find a solution. The sculpture, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's spherical forms and Platonic solids, was also featured on a 450-lira postage stamp.