ROME — Italian officials on Thursday rejected a proposal to replace Iran with Italy at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a suggestion by a U.S. official, saying such a move is not possible under tournament rules.
The proposal came from Paolo Zampolli, who told The Financial Times and later the Associated Press that he raised the idea with Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino as a contingency plan in case Iran could not participate. Zampolli said the request was not political and was intended as an option should circumstances change.
Officials in Italy dismissed the suggestion. Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said the proposal was not feasible, while Luciano Buonfiglio said teams must qualify on merit. Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti also criticized the idea.
Iran has not withdrawn from the tournament and is preparing to play its group-stage matches in the United States in June. FIFA has said the schedule will proceed as planned, with matches set near Los Angeles and in Seattle.
Iran secured qualification through the Asian Football Confederation, while Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. Under current rules, FIFA may replace a withdrawn team, but it has not specified whether a substitute must come from the same confederation.
The Iranian embassy in Rome criticized the proposal, saying participation in the tournament should be decided on the field. Iranian officials have said the national team continues to prepare for the competition despite ongoing regional tensions.