Italian ministers dismiss calls for Italy to take the place of Iran in 2026 World Cup.
Italy’s sports minister Andrea Abodi on Thursday firmly dismissed proposals that Italy should be admitted to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in place of Iran, saying the idea was neither possible nor appropriate.
“Qualification happens on the pitch,” he stated, flatly rejecting a suggestion put forward by Paolo Zampolli, the United States’ special envoy for global partnerships.
Zampolli said he had approached both US president Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino with the proposal to replace Iran with Italy, reportedly as part of an effort to repair relations between Trump and Italian premier Giorgia Meloni following the US president’s criticisms of Pope Leo XIV.
Zampolli told the Financial Times that as an Italian he considered it a dream to see the Azzurri at a tournament hosted in the US, and that Italy’s four World Cup titles gave them the prestige to justify such participation.
However the proposal found no support within the Italian government, with economy minister Giancarlo Giorgetti telling reporters in Rome: “I find it shameful. I would be ashamed”.
Luciano Buonfiglio, president of the Italian Olympic Committe (CONI), added his voice to the debate, saying he would not be happy if Italy were given Iran’s place.
“First of all, I don’t think it is possible”, Buonfiglio told news agency ANSA, “second, I’d feel offended. In order to go to the World Cup, you have to earn it.”
In a post on X, the Iranian embassy in Rome wrote in response to the idea: “Football belongs to the people, not to politicians. Italy achieved greatness on the pitch, not through political gain. The attempt to exclude Iran from the World Cup only shows the ‘moral bankruptcy’ of the United States, which fears even the presence of eleven young Iranians on the pitch”.
A spokesperson for the Iranian government has stated that the national men’s football team was preparing for a proud and successful participation in the tournament in the US.
Iran had earlier requested that its matches be moved to Mexico in view of the tense international situation, but FIFA rejected that request and confirmed that Iran would adhere to the fixture schedule established last December.
FIFA has not commented on the lobbying efforts and has merely referred to Infantino’s recent statements. “The Iranian team will definitely come,” he said last week in Washington.
“We hope that by then the situation will be peaceful. That would definitely help” – he stated – “But Iran has to come if they are to represent their people. They have qualified, and they’re actually quite a good team as well. They really want to play, and they should play. Sports should be outside of politics.”
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