Italy dismisses talk of replacing Iran at World Cup

Pio Esposito of Italy reacts in disappointment after defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo / Getty Images

Italy has played down suggestions that its national team could replace Iran at the World Cup, following reports that an envoy to US President Donald Trump had asked Fifa to consider the move.

US special envoy Paolo Zampolli told the Financial Times it would be a “dream” to see four-time World Cup winners Italy at the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada despite the fact they lost in a qualification playoff last month.

However, Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said today that a reinstatement of Italy “first, is not possible; second, is not appropriate, you qualify on the pitch”, according to Italian news agencies ANSA and AGI.

That view was echoed by the president of Italy’s Olympic committee, Luciano Buonfiglio.

“I would feel offended. You have to earn your place in the World Cup,” he said.

The Iranian Embassy to Rome said that the suggestion showed US “moral bankruptcy” and that Italy did not need “political privileges” to demonstrate its football greatness.

The idea was an effort to repair ties between Trump and Giorgia Meloni after the Italian Prime Minister fell out with the President after criticising his attack on Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, the FT reported.

“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and [Fifa president Gianni] Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. 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,” Zampolli said.

Italy have won the World Cup four times but they missed out on the tournament for a third successive time after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their qualifying playoff final.

“Italy has earned its greatness in football on the pitch, not thanks to political privileges,” the Iranian embassy said on X.

“The attempt to exclude Iran from the World Cup only reveals the ‘moral bankruptcy’ of the United States, which is afraid even of the presence of eleven young Iranians on the field of play.”

Iran’s participation in the World Cup has been thrown into doubt by the war with the US and Israel that broke out on February 28.

The Iranian football federation (FFIRI) had said in April it was “negotiating” with Fifa to relocate the country’s World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico.

But Infantino told AFP last month, while attending Iran’s friendly against Costa Rica in Turkey, that Iran will be at the World Cup and that they will play “where they are supposed to be, according to the draw”.

The Fifa chief reiterated that stance in Washington last week.

When contacted by AFP about Zampolli’s suggestion on Thursday, Fifa referred to Infantino’s recent comments.

In 2022, Zampolli made a similar suggestion, proposing to Fifa that Italy should replace Iran at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar because of the Islamic Republic’s crackdown on protesters at that time. His proposal fell on deaf ears.

Zampolli is an Italian-American socialite and businessman who founded a modelling agency and who claims to have introduced Trump to his wife, Melania Trump.