Washington: Top United States envoy, Paolo Zampolli has disclosed that he informed President Donald Trump and FIFA boss Gianni Infantino about the possibility of replacing Iran with Italy at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He argued that the record of the Azzurris as four-time world champions is justification enough to award them the slot, boosting publicity for the tournament.
According to Ghana Web, Zampolli, an Italian native, mentioned that it would be a dream come true to see the national team participate in the World Cup and compete for glory. He confirmed his suggestion to Trump and Infantino, highlighting Italy's pedigree with four world titles as a reason for their inclusion in the tournament.
The report added that the move aims to mend relations between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after tensions arose due to Trump's criticisms of Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war. Despite the proposal, FIFA has not commented on the development, referring instead to Infantino's earlier statements regarding Iran's participation.
Infantino had previously stated that Iran would participate in the World Cup, emphasizing the importance of peaceful conditions by then. He affirmed that Iran had qualified and expressed their desire to play, insisting they should represent their people.
Meanwhile, Iran had requested to have their matches moved from the US to Canada or Mexico due to the war, a request that FIFA denied. This move followed Trump's declaration that the US could not ensure the safety of the Iranian team amid ongoing tensions.
Neither the Iranian nor Italian football federations have made any comments on the situation.