Trump's representative proposed replacing Iran with Italy for the 2026 World Cup — FT
U.S. Special Envoy Paolo Zampolli has approached FIFA officials with a proposal to replace the Iranian national team with the Italian national team at the upcoming World Cup.
This was reported by the Financial Times.
The tournament is set to kick off in June 2026 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
According to the Financial Times, this proposal was personally conveyed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Zampoli argues that Italy, as a four-time world champion, has every reason to secure a spot in the tournament, despite failing to qualify through the official process.
Analysts view Paolo Zampoli’s efforts as an attempt to restore friendly relations between Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Tensions between the leaders arose after the U.S. president criticized Pope Leo XVI over the conflict with Iran.
“I am Italian by birth, and it would be a dream come true for me to see the ‘Squadra Azzurra’ at the tournament in the U.S.,” Zampoli confirmed in comments to journalists.
He emphasized that the Italian national team possesses the necessary “soccer pedigree” to justify its inclusion on the list of participants in such an emergency manner.
Despite rumors of a possible replacement, Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj stated the country’s intention to participate in the competition.
He emphasized that the team is currently at a training camp and actively preparing for the opening matches, despite the difficult political situation.
Earlier, Tehran had expressed concern about the safety of its athletes on U.S. soil following airstrikes targeting Iranian officials.
The Iranian side even asked FIFA to move their games to Canada or Mexico, but this proposal was rejected by the international federation.
Metalist 1925 received substantial bonuses for their victory over Dynamo
Markevych commented on a possible appointment to the Ukrainian national team
The Ukrainian Football Association officially announced the end of its cooperation with national team head coach Serhiy Rebrov. The contract was terminated by mutual agreement following the team’s poor performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
As a reminder, the Ukrainian national soccer team dropped in the updated FIFA rankings, falling from 30th to 32nd place.
