An official representing President Donald Trump has reportedly urged FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup, as per the Financial Times.
The initiative aims to mend relations between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following disagreements stemming from the American president’s criticisms of Pope Leo XIV during the Iran conflict, according to sources familiar with the situation cited by the FT.
“I can confirm that I proposed to Trump and (FIFA president Gianni) Infantino the idea of having Italy take Iran’s place in the World Cup. Being Italian myself, it would be a fantastic sight to witness the Azzurri in a tournament hosted by the U.S. With four championships under their belt, they have the qualifications to support their inclusion,” stated U.S. special envoy Paolo Zampolli to the FT.
Responses from the White House, FIFA, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are pending following requests for comments from Reuters.
In a surprising upset in March, Italy’s national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time after a 4-1 loss in a penalty shootout against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoff final.
Iran secured a spot in their fourth consecutive World Cup last year but, due to the ongoing conflict, asked FIFA to relocate their three group matches from the U.S. to Mexico.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, during a visit to an Iran training camp in Turkey last month, affirmed that all matches would proceed as planned, offering assistance to the team in their tournament preparations.
“We are making arrangements and getting ready for the World Cup, while being compliant with the authorities’ directives,” mentioned Iranian football federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj at a rally in Tehran on Wednesday.
The decision of which country would step in if Iran withdrew from the tournament rests with FIFA, which, as per Article Six of the World Cup regulations, has the authority to select any nation to fill the vacancy.
The AFC is likely to advocate strongly for an Asian replacement, with the United Arab Emirates, who lost a qualifying playoff to Iraq last November, being a potential candidate.
Despite the UAE’s limited footballing history compared to Italy, having participated in only one World Cup in 1990 where they lost all matches, they could be considered for the replacement.
The World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico and Canada, is set to begin on June 11, with Iran scheduled to face New Zealand in their opening match in Los Angeles four days later.
