FIFA Iran Italy World Cup 2026 proposal emerges as Trump envoy Paolo Zampolli urges replacement of Iran with Italy at the tournament

A United States presidential envoy, Paolo Zampolli, has called on FIFA to consider replacing Iran with Italy at the 2026 World Cup, a proposal that has stirred diplomatic and sporting debate.

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FIFA considers Iran–Italy switch for World Cup 2026,  suggestion comes amid broader geopolitical discussions involving US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as efforts continue to ease tensions between the two leaders.

Zampolli, who serves as an envoy for President Trump, said he had proposed the idea directly to both Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, arguing that Italy’s football pedigree makes it a worthy alternative.

He described it as a “dream” scenario to see the Italian national team, known as the Azzurri, participate in a US-hosted World Cup, despite their failure to qualify through the standard route.

Italy, four-time World Cup winners, missed out on qualification after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a playoff earlier this year, a result that left them absent from the upcoming tournament.

Zampolli suggested that Italy’s historical success and global standing could justify their inclusion, adding a controversial twist to ongoing discussions around tournament participation.

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The proposal has yet to receive any official response from FIFA, and qualification rules traditionally do not allow replacement of qualified teams based on political or discretionary considerations.