Matteo Franzoso's infectious smile will be missed in the international ski circuit. © Instagram

Cheerful and hopeful: That was Matteo Franzoso

The death of Matteo Franzoso has shocked the skiing world. He was a universally beloved World Cup athlete who leaves a huge void, not only in the Italian national team.

September 15, 2025

From: fop

Since Monday evening, sad certainty has prevailed: Matteo Franzoso did not survive his training crash in La Parva, Chile. According to the association, he misjudged a relatively small jump, went off the piste, smashed through two safety nets, and crashed into a wooden fence several meters from the track. The downhill skier was immediately taken to the hospital with severe head trauma. After two days in an artificial coma, he lost his last fight.

Franzoso would have turned 26 on Tuesday. He hails from Genoa and was considered a die-hard fan of the city's Serie A club Genoa. As a teenager, he and his family moved to the small village of Rollières, not far from Sestriere (Piedmont). His brother Michele still works there as a ski instructor. Beyond Sestriere, Franzoso's journey continued into the wider world of winter sports.

International premieres in South Tyrol

Franzoso made his European Cup debut in Obereggen in 2017, and at the 2020 Junior World Championships, he first attracted international attention by finishing fourth in the downhill. In November 2021, he celebrated his only European Cup victory before making his World Cup debut just a few weeks later in Val Gardena. Since then, he has competed in 17 elite events in the downhill and super-G disciplines. He has twice finished in the points among the top 30 starters – most recently, finishing 30th in the super-G in Crans-Montana (Switzerland) last February.

“It is a tragedy for his family and our sport.” FISI President Flavio Roda

The speed specialist was denied a major breakthrough in the World Cup for a long time, but he was still considered one of the few hopefuls who would one day close the gap to the older guard around Dominik Paris, Christof Innerhofer, Mattia Casse & Co.

Matteo Franzoso at his World Cup debut in Val Gardena in December 2021. © Pentaphoto

"It's a tragedy for his family and for our sport," Italian federation president Flavio Roda is quoted as saying. Franzoso was not only extremely popular within the Azzurri team; he had made many friends throughout the international racing world with his open, approachable manner and his characteristic, cheerful smile. They are all now in deep mourning.


You can light a digital candle for Matteo Franzoso on trauer.bz.