Italian sports minister Andrea Abodi has dismissed a proposal for his country to replace Iran at the 2026 World Cup as 'not appropriate', rejecting any suggestion the Azzurri will be granted a last-minute berth. The proposal, made by Donald Trump's envoy Paolo Zampolli, suggested Italy should replace Iran because of the latter's war with the US and Israel.
Abodi insisted qualification must be earned on the pitch, telling Sky News: 'Italy's possible requalification for the 2026 World Cup... is firstly not possible, and secondly not appropriate. I don't know what comes first. Qualification is on the pitch.'
Iran's participation has been under speculation due to the conflict, but they have not requested to withdraw. FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently stated Iran 'will be at the World Cup'. Should Iran withdraw, the United Arab Emirates – the next highest-ranked Asian nation not to have qualified – are considered the likeliest replacements, not Italy.
Italy's failure to qualify for a third successive World Cup has triggered upheaval in Italian football. Federation president Gabriele Gravina resigned this month, and manager Gennaro Gattuso stepped down. The country also faces a race against time to prepare stadiums for co-hosting Euro 2032 with Turkey.
