Trump’s US envoy suggests Italy replace Iran at 2026 FIFA World Cup

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a senior envoy of US President Donald Trump has reportedly urged FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the tournament—despite Iran having already qualified and Italy crashing out in the play-offs.Trump’s special envoy, Paolo Zampolli, is said to have presented the idea to FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino. The proposal suggests Italy should take Iran’s place at the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Zampolli reportedly argued that Italy, a four-time World Cup winner, has the credentials to merit inclusion despite failing to qualify, after the Azzurri missed out during the qualification rounds.
“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.At the same time, Iran has stated that it is fully prepared for the 2026 World Cup and intends to participate.

Speaking at a conference in Washington last week, Infantino said: “The Iranian team is coming, for sure. We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be peaceful. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come if they are to represent their people. They have qualified… They really want to play, and they should play.”

In March, Iran indicated that it might not take part in the 2026 World Cup following the Iran–Israel conflict escalation 2026, after the US and Israel reportedly launched a unilateral military campaign on Tehran, killing the country’s top leader, Ali Khamenei, along with several senior officials. As a result, Iran raised security concerns, particularly regarding its players travelling to the United States.

Trump said Iranian footballers would be “welcome” in the US, but also warned that it might be unsafe for them to travel.

People familiar with the matter said the proposal to include Italy was also aimed at easing tensions between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, following disagreements linked to the Iran conflict and Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV.

Iran have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup as one of the eight teams from the Asian Football Confederation. By contrast, Italy failed to qualify from Europe, where 16 places were available.

This marks the third consecutive World Cup that Italy have missed. Despite this, they are currently ranked 12th in the world by FIFA, making them the highest-ranked team not participating in the tournament.