FIFA Silent as US Envoy Proposes Italy Replace Iran at World Cup
A special envoy to United States President Donald Trump has asked world football governing body FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at the 2026 World Cup, a proposal that immediately reignited debate over politics, merit, and the integrity of the tournament.
Paolo Zampolli, an Italian-American businessman and former modelling agent who claims to have introduced Trump to his wife Melania, confirmed the approach to the Financial Times. “I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (FIFA President Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion,” Zampolli was quoted as saying.
The suggestion, the Financial Times reported, was also intended to mend strained relations between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The two leaders fell out after Meloni publicly criticised Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV over the pontiff’s condemnation of the Iran war. Meloni described Trump’s remarks about the first American-born pope as “unacceptable” and insisted it was “right and normal for him to call for peace and to condemn all forms of war.”
Iran’s participation in the 32nd edition of the tournament, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from 11 June to 19 July, has been clouded by the war that erupted on 28 February when the US and Israel launched military strikes on the Islamic Republic. Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali had declared in March that Iran would not participate, citing security concerns, though the Iranian football federation later said it was negotiating with FIFA to relocate its group-stage matches from the United States to Mexico.
However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, speaking to AFP last month while attending Iran’s friendly against Costa Rica in Turkey, dismissed any relocation. “Iran will be at the World Cup,” Infantino said. “The matches will be played where they are supposed to be, according to the draw.” Iran is drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, with all three group matches scheduled for Los Angeles and Seattle.
Italy, by contrast, failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff final last month. Zampolli’s suggestion, therefore, seeks to hand a spot to a team that did not qualify at the expense of a team that earned its place on the pitch.
FIFA has not issued an official response to Zampolli’s proposal, but sources close to the governing body pointed to Infantino’s repeated insistence that Iran will compete as scheduled. The episode raises fresh questions about the intersection of geopolitics and global sport, with a US envoy openly lobbying for a geopolitical favour dressed in sporting sentiment.