Trump envoy proposes Italy replace Iran at the 2026 World Cup as controversy grows

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published April 23, 2026

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A new political proposal has triggered fresh controversy ahead of the 2026 World Cup after Paolo Zampolli, an envoy close to U.S. President Donald Trump, suggested that Italy could replace Iran in the tournament if the Iranian team is unable to take part. The idea drew immediate attention because Italy did not qualify for the finals, while Iran remains officially qualified at this stage.

The backlash has been driven by the clear clash between political influence and sporting merit. Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi publicly rejected the suggestion, saying that a place at the World Cup must be earned on the pitch, not secured through diplomatic or political channels. His remarks helped shut down any impression that Italy was seeking a backdoor return to the tournament.

At the same time, FIFA continues to treat Iran’s participation as active. FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously said that Iran would take part as scheduled despite the political tensions surrounding a tournament that will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. That leaves the current discussion in the realm of political speculation rather than a formal decision to remove Iran.

The issue remains highly sensitive because any future move to exclude Iran and then hand the spot to Italy would raise serious questions about continental fairness and the integrity of qualification. If any replacement were ever needed, the strongest sporting argument would point toward another Asian team rather than a European side that failed to qualify. For now, the debate has exposed a broader tension between politics and sport ahead of one of the world’s most closely watched tournaments.