Italy Instead of Iran? Italian Officials Reject Trump Envoy's Proposal: "World Cup Berths Must Be Earned on the Field"

Ahead of the 2026 North American World Cup finals, a proposal was made to replace Iran with Italy, but the Italian government and sports community responded coldly. The prevailing sentiment was that a World Cup berth should be earned on the field through sporting merit, not by political decisions or diplomatic proposals.

Ahead of the 2026 North American World Cup finals, a proposal emerged to replace Iran with Italy, but the Italian government and sports circles showed a lukewarm response. Photo by ReutersYonhap News

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On the 23rd (local time), local media including ANSA reported that Andrea Abodi, Italy's Minister for Sport, told reporters that day that the idea of Italy joining the World Cup finals in place of Iran was "inappropriate." He stated, "A spot in the World Cup finals must be earned on the pitch," and drew a clear line by adding, "A replacement entry of this nature is not technically feasible."

Luciano Buonfiglio, President of the Italian Olympic Committee, also clearly expressed his opposition. He said, "I do not think it is possible," and added, "If Italy were to participate in such a way, it would be humiliating." He further emphasized, "Qualification for the World Cup finals must be won independently."

The controversy flared after the Financial Times reported that Paolo Zampolli, U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Global Partnerships, recently suggested to President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino that Italy should participate in the World Cup finals in place of Iran. Zampolli, a businessman from Milan, is known to be close to President Trump. He told the Financial Times, "I was born in Italy, and seeing the 'Azzurri' compete in a tournament held in the United States would be a dream come true," arguing that Italy, a four-time World Cup champion, has a pedigree that could justify such a replacement.

However, within Italy, there are concerns that such a proposal could actually tarnish the nation’s football honor. Italy failed to qualify for the finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and now also for the 2026 North American World Cup. There is pointed criticism that, for a football powerhouse like Italy, obtaining a spot via political proposals rather than on merit would only bring greater disgrace, especially after failing to reach the World Cup finals for three consecutive tournaments.

Gianni De Biasi, a former national team coach, also downplayed the possibility of Italy being selected as a replacement, stating, "Even if Iran drops out, the principle is that the next-highest team from the same qualification system should participate." While FIFA holds the final decision if Iran withdraws or is excluded, many analysts agree that it is unrealistic for Italy, which was eliminated in the European qualifiers, to take the spot of Iran, who qualified through the Asian qualifiers. According to FIFA World Cup regulations, if a participating country withdraws or is excluded, FIFA may take necessary measures such as selecting a replacement team. Some analysts believe that the background to this proposal includes the war between the United States and Iran, as well as tensions between President Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The Financial Times also reported that Zampolli's idea could be seen as a diplomatic attempt to restore relations between the two sides.

Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly criticized Pope Leo XIV, who had condemned the Iran war, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni further criticized him, leading to a cooling of relations between the two sides. Reuters Yonhap News

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Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly criticized Pope Leo XIV for condemning the war in Iran, and Prime Minister Meloni in turn criticized President Trump, leading to a cooling of relations between the two sides. In this context, the idea of Italy’s replacement entry into the World Cup has been discussed as a possible diplomatic card. Iran has already secured a place in the finals through the Asian qualifiers. Although there have been safety concerns stemming from the ongoing war with the United States, the Iranian side maintains that the national team is fully prepared to participate in the World Cup and is not considering withdrawing. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also recently reaffirmed Iran’s participation in the finals, stating, "The Iranian national team must take part."

It has been reported that Iran requested FIFA to allow the national team to play its group stage matches in Mexico or Canada instead of the United States, but this request was denied. As it stands, Iran is scheduled to participate in the group stage of the North American World Cup. The 2026 North American World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will kick off in June.

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