A U.S. special envoy has called on FIFA to replace war-torn Iran with Italy at the upcoming World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Mexico , and Canada .
This comes amidst the backdrop of war in Iran, with the U.S. and Israel having begun military operations in the region back in late February. Currently, a ceasefire is in place to allow for peace talks to take place, with President Donald Trump having announced on Tuesday that he had opted to extend this "until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."
All the while, from a soccer perspective, question marks remain regarding Iran's potential participation in the World Cup, for which they qualified back in March 2025. In December, they were drawn into Group G, alongside Belgium , Egypt , and New Zealand .
Iran qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup back in March 2025 -Credit:Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images
However, due to the conflict, Iran has remained noncommittal regarding whether or not it will participate, having sent FIFA a request to move their group games to Mexico.
While this was subsequently denied by FIFA president Gianni Infantino , Iran's Minister of Sport Ahmad Donyamali recently told Anadolu, via Reuters , "Our request to FIFA to relocate Iran's games from the U.S. to Mexico is still valid, but we have not yet received a response.
"If accepted, Iran's participation in the World Cup will be certain. However, FIFA has not yet responded.
"As the Minister of Sports, together with the Iranian football federation, we will keep the football team ready for the World Cup. However, the final decision will be made by our government."
Back in March, Trump warned in a social media post , "The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don't believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety."
Now, it has emerged, via the Financial Times , that special envoy Paolo Zampolli is pushing for Italy to take Iran's place in the tournament. This comes after the European soccer heavyweights failed to qualify for a third-straight World Cup, this time via the UEFA Playoffs, where they lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup," Zampolli said. "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."
Neither the White House, FIFA, nor the football federations representing Italy or Iran responded to comment requests made by Reuters .
The report added that the push for Italy to take Iran's spot was also kicked off in the hopes that it could help the strained relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to sources.
Meloni and Trump's once-strong relationship recently disintegrated after he called out Pope Leo for his criticism of the U.S.' approach towards immigrants as well as the war in Iran. The President said in a social media post that the Pope was "weak on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," comments which Meloni saw as "unacceptable," as per DW .
Trump went on to say Meloni was herself "unacceptable," believing her to be "no longer the same person."
