A suggestion by one of US President Donald Trump’s envoys that Italy should replace Iran at this year’s FIFA World Cup has been flatly rejected by Italian officials, insisting that qualification for the World Cup must be won on the pitch.
Paolo Zampolli, an Italian-American businessman who serves as Trump’s envoy for global affairs, told the Financial Times that he proposed the idea to both Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“I’m an Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri in a tournament hosted by the USA. With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion,” said Zampolli.
Zampolli has no official connection to either the World Cup or Italian football, but the proposal quickly caused embarrassment in Italy, with politicians and sports officials rejecting the proposal outright.
The president of the Italian Olympic Committee, Luciano Buonfiglio, said the idea was not only unrealistic but also offensive.
“First of all, I don’t think it’s possible. Second, I would feel insulted. To get to the World Cup, you have to earn it,” Buonfiglio said.
Sports Minister Andrea Abodi echoed the same sentiment, saying: “It’s not appropriate. You qualify on the pitch,” while Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti called the concept “disgraceful.”
Former Italy coach Gianni De Biasi also rejected the idea, saying that even in the unlikely event of Iran’s elimination, a replacement would logically come from the Asian qualification track.
“Besides, I don’t think Italy needs Trump’s support on an issue like this. I think we can handle it ourselves,” De Biasi told Reuters.
FIFA REJECTS THE IDEA
There is currently no indication that Iran will withdraw or be banned from the tournament. Iran qualified for their fourth consecutive World Cup last year and are expected to participate as scheduled.
FIFA also made its position clear by pointing to Infantino’s earlier comments supporting Iran’s presence at the tournament.
“The Iranian team will definitely come. They really want to play and they should play. Sports should be out of politics,” Infantino said at the CNBC Invest in America Forum last week.
Iran requested that its three group stage matches in the United States be moved to Mexico after the outbreak of war, but this request was denied. Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj said preparations are continuing as planned.
“We are preparing and preparing for the World Cup, but we are obedient to the decision of the authorities,” Taj said in Tehran on Wednesday.
Italy, meanwhile, will miss out on a third consecutive World Cup after failing to qualify via the regular route, making Zampolli’s proposal even more embarrassing for Italian fans.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Zampolli has come up with this idea. Four years ago, while serving as United Nations ambassador, he wrote to Infantino urging FIFA to disqualify Iran over its human rights record and replace them with Italy. This request was ignored and Iran continued to compete in the tournament.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
25 Apr 2026 23:59 IST
