Italian sports minister Andrea Abodi has dismissed a proposal for Italy to replace Iran at the 2026 World Cup, calling it “not appropriate” and “not possible”. The suggestion was made by Paolo Zampolli, a special envoy to US President Donald Trump, who argued that the four-time winners would have the pedigree to justify a last-minute berth after their shock playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Abodi told Sky News that qualification should be decided on the pitch, not through political manoeuvres. “Italy’s possible requalification for the 2026 World Cup, which US president Donald Trump’s envoy, Paolo Zampolli, has reportedly proposed to Fifa, is firstly not possible, and secondly not appropriate,” he said. “I don’t know what comes first. Qualification is on the pitch.”
Iran’s participation has been under scrutiny due to ongoing tensions with the US and Israel. The team is scheduled to play two group matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. While there were talks of moving their games to co-host Mexico, that idea has stalled. Iran has not requested to withdraw, and Fifa president Gianni Infantino confirmed last month that they “will be at the World Cup”.
If Iran’s status were to change, the United Arab Emirates—the next-highest-ranked Asian team not to have qualified—would be the most likely replacement, not Italy. Italy’s absence from a third consecutive World Cup has triggered deep introspection, with federation president Gabriele Gravina resigning and manager Gennaro Gattuso stepping down this month. The country also faces a tight deadline to renovate stadiums for its co-hosting of Euro 2032 with Turkey.
