A fresh geopolitical layer has entered football's biggest stage, with a US special envoy suggesting Italy replace Iran at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Paolo Zampolli, an Italian-born diplomat aligned with Donald Trump, confirmed to the Financial Times that he floated the idea to both Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The suggestion is viewed as a diplomatic manoeuvre rather than a sporting one, aimed at easing tensions between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Those ties have reportedly cooled in recent weeks, with Trump's remarks concerning the Pope adding friction to the relationship.
Iran's Qualification, Current Position
Iran secured their place at the 2026 World Cup through the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifiers and are currently proceeding with tournament preparations. The Iranian Football Federation have said they're awaiting instructions from FIFA regarding their request to shift the team's matches away from the US to Mexico.
They are placed in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. Iran are scheduled to open their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 16. Two of their matches have been scheduled for Los Angeles with their final group game to be played in Seattle.
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Italy's Qualification Failure, Historic Drought
In contrast, Italy's absence from the tournament stems purely from on-field failure. The four-time world champions missed out after losing a playoff to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March 2026, making it their third consecutive failure to qualify after also missing the 2018 and 2022 editions.
Italy have not played a World Cup match since 2014, with the ongoing drought set to extend to at least 16 years before their next opportunity in 2030.
FIFA Regulations, Likely Outcome
From a regulatory standpoint, the proposal faces significant barriers. FIFA's World Cup regulations (Article 6) grant the governing body discretion to replace a team only in the event of withdrawal or exclusion. Even in such cases, precedent strongly favours selecting a replacement from the same confederation.
Iran belong to the AFC, while Italy are part of UEFA. Replacing an Asian qualifier with a European non-qualifier would disrupt continental balance and likely trigger legal and political challenges from AFC member associations.
FIFA has also historically resisted direct political interference in tournament participation decisions, making any externally driven swap highly improbable.
The 2026 World Cup: Scale, Structure
The 2026 edition is set to be the largest in World Cup history. Hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada, the tournament will run from June 11 to July 19, spanning 39 days and featuring 48 teams.
A total of 104 matches will be played, with the format expanded to 12 groups of four teams. The top two from each group, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will advance to a newly introduced Round of 32. Teams reaching the final will now play eight matches.
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