A senior envoy to President Donald Trump has formally requested that FIFA replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the proposal framed as both a diplomatic gesture and an effort to repair strained ties between Washington and Rome. Paolo Zampolli, a US special envoy who was born in Italy, confirmed to the Financial Times that he had made the suggestion to both Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. "I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I'm an Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion," Zampolli said.
The proposal comes roughly 50 days before the tournament is due to begin across the United States, Canada and Mexico on 11 June. Italy was left out of the competition in March after losing a European qualifying playoff final to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties, 4–1, marking the third consecutive World Cup the Azzurri have missed. Iran, by contrast, qualified through the standard sporting process but has been seeking assurances from FIFA that its matches could be moved from the United States to Mexico, citing security concerns following US military strikes on Iranian territory that killed the country's president and dozens of senior officials.
Sources familiar with the matter say the initiative is also intended to mend relations between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which deteriorated after Trump publicly criticised Pope Leo XIV — the newly elected head of the Catholic Church — over the ongoing conflict with Iran, drawing a negative reaction from Rome. FIFA president Infantino, who has a close personal relationship with Trump, said last week that he hopes Iran will be able to compete normally in the tournament.
Iran's football federation chief Mehdi Taj said his country would participate in the World Cup, telling Iranian state media: "According to the current situation, we will take part in the tournament." Iran's national team has reportedly scheduled four preparatory matches in Turkey as part of its preparation. Iran also issued a broader statement on Wednesday confirming its intention to participate, though it had earlier conditioned that decision on FIFA's response regarding the venue transfer request.
FIFA's rules strictly govern which teams compete based on sporting merit, making any politically motivated substitution deeply irregular. The White House, FIFA, and the Italian and Iranian football federations did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The episode illustrates the extent to which geopolitical tensions surrounding the US-Iran conflict are spilling into the organisation of sport's biggest global event, with questions over Iran's participation — and now Italy's potential reinstatement — unlikely to be resolved quickly.