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The assumption can be made that Italians were fully aware in 1926 when the Partito Nazionale Fascista (PNF) was the only legally allowed political party in the Kingdom of Italy, which had followed years of the Fascists quickly installing themselves in power after Victor Emmanuel III made Mussolini the Prime Minster after the 1922 March on Rome.
All snarking aside, football circles were well aware of the reality they were living under Mussolini and the Fascists as the PNF conducted a blatant and well orchestrated mugging of the game. This became especially true by 1925 in which the Fascists had a direct hand in the outcome of the calcio (football) championship match between Bologna - supported by Leandro Arpinati, a vice-secretary of the PNF - and Genoa. There was one stark difference between Genoa and Bologna that should be noted: Bologna fielded an all-Italian team, while Genoa had foreign born players. The third match in the series was marked by a pitch invasion of local Blackshirts that heavily influenced the outcome of the game in Bologna's favor. Violence erupted after the next match (it never being proven who started it) to the point that no city wanted to host the deciding match. Eventually the match was played behind closed doors under guard from the carabinieri (military police of Italy) which Bologna happened to win under suspicious circumstances. Despite outrage spilling over into Parliament, Bologna were awarded the title and Arpinati would be installed as new podestà – unelected Mayor-like figure that had authoritarian power over the city – of the city in 1926.
It wasn't just fascism that was changing calcio, the sport would pay back in kind. Soon after this Fascist Lando Ferretti - press secretary to Mussolini - nominated a commission to reform the Italian game. The Carta di Viareggio essentially banned foreign players from the game, which heavily appealed to the Fascists are they were to use calcio as a vehicle for party success. In 1926 also Arpinati invited Mussolini to Bologna in order to open a new football stadium which just so happened to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the March on Rome. Arpinati had ordered the stadium built before he became podestà. After the parade Mussolini was being driven by Arpinati when 15 year old Anteo Zamboni attempted to shoot il Duce. He failed, and was lynched on the spot.
Zamboni was the son of well known ex-anarchists and very well have been a patsy. Either way, in direct response to this assassination attempt all other political parties were banned in Italy except the PNF. Arpinati would also be made head of the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (Italian Football Federation), where he would help to remake Italian football in fascisms eyes (leading to teams being combined, or disbanded) and also help to organize the 1934 World Cup in Italy - which Mussolini famously used to promote Fascism.
Interestingly enough right after the World Cup Arpinati would come under suspicion of being anti-Mussolini and accused of orchestrating the attempt on Mussolini's life in 1926 and be exiled from the country.
Sources:
Just for additional information, there was a similar question asked this March which had a fair few answers you may find useful: "Mussolini was made Prime Minister in 1922, at what point would the average Italian citizen realize "oh wow, we're a fascist country now?" Would it have been before the police state powers he was given in '25"
Gramsci's translated words, he was leader of the communist party in that period: https://www.marxists.org/archive/gramsci/index.htm
To me, it appears obvious that at some point everybody knew the enormous power of the fascist party, though Italy still had a king, who could depose the head of ministers anytime. The abolishment of any party outside the one was the first opposed serious reform, which carried the persecution of political oppositors. This fact was the second time people understood the graveness of the situation, it peaked with Matteotti's killing and open declaration of guilty in front of the houses. A considerable part of the country though still supported fascism and really believed a strong figure as the Duce, all considered their strict view on freedom, could carry Italy to old empire's glory. The open questions were many and immense, Mussolini's everyday propaganda showed simple people the supposed greatness of their government. In fact, to the eyes of the majority, Mussolini did not commit any error untill the entry in the war (which occurred too early for Italy to prepare, but many threads already deeply discuss this theme).