Fresh controversy has emerged ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a special envoy to former United States President Donald Trump reportedly suggested that Italy should replace Iran at the tournament scheduled to be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
According to a report by the Financial Times, Trump’s special envoy, Paolo Zampolli, said it would be a “dream” to see Italy at the competition despite the fact that the four-time world champions failed to qualify through the normal qualification process.
Zampolli reportedly disclosed that he had suggested the idea to both Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
He was quoted as saying that Italy’s rich football history and pedigree as one of the most successful nations in World Cup history should justify their inclusion in the expanded global tournament.
“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and 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,” he said.
The proposal has sparked debate internationally, especially as Iran had already secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup before growing geopolitical tensions placed their participation under scrutiny.
Iran’s place at the tournament has become a topic of discussion following the outbreak of war involving the United States, Israel and Iran earlier this year.
The conflict, which reportedly escalated in late February, raised concerns over travel, security arrangements, diplomatic relations and whether Iran would be allowed to participate in matches hosted in the United States.
In response to those concerns, reports indicated that the Iranian Football Federation had opened discussions with FIFA regarding the possibility of relocating Iran’s matches from the United States to Mexico, one of the three co-hosting nations.
However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has publicly maintained that Iran remains part of the tournament and will play according to the official draw and competition structure.
Speaking during an appearance at one of Iran’s international friendly matches earlier this year, Infantino reportedly stated that Iran would compete “where they are supposed to be.”
He repeated the same position during another recent engagement in Washington, signalling that FIFA had no immediate plans to remove Iran from the tournament.
When approached for further reaction to Zampolli’s latest proposal, FIFA reportedly referred journalists to Infantino’s earlier comments, suggesting the organisation’s position had not changed.
Italy’s possible inclusion would be highly controversial, particularly because the European giants failed to qualify after suffering defeat in a playoff match.
The Italians reportedly lost on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina, confirming a third consecutive failure to reach the FIFA World Cup.
For many football supporters, Italy’s absence from recent World Cups has been surprising given the country’s strong football tradition, global fan base and history of success.
Italy has won the FIFA World Cup four times, making them one of the most decorated nations in international football alongside Germany. Their titles came in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006.
Despite that record, critics argue that qualification should be determined strictly on sporting merit and not political developments or historical achievements.
Analysts say allowing a non-qualified team to replace a nation that earned its place through the qualification process would undermine the integrity of the competition.
This is not the first time Zampolli has made such a suggestion involving Italy and Iran.
Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, he reportedly proposed that Italy should replace Iran because of the Iranian government’s crackdown on domestic protesters at the time.
That proposal did not gain support and Iran went on to participate in the tournament as scheduled.
Paolo Zampolli is a businessman and Italian-American public figure known for his close ties to Donald Trump.
He is also known in celebrity circles as the founder of a modelling agency and has claimed in the past that he introduced Trump to his wife, Melania Trump.
His latest remarks are also being linked to broader political considerations involving relations between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The Financial Times reported that the proposal may have been part of efforts to improve ties after disagreements between Trump and Meloni over comments related to Pope Leo XIV and the Iran conflict.
While football authorities have not taken the suggestion seriously so far, the comments have reignited conversations about politics in sport and whether international competitions can remain insulated from global diplomatic tensions.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to be one of the biggest in history, featuring an expanded format and three host nations, organisers are expected to face increasing scrutiny over security, visas, logistics and participation rules.
For now, FIFA’s official position remains unchanged: Iran is qualified and expected to take part in the tournament.
Italy, meanwhile, remain on the outside looking in after another disappointing qualification campaign.
Unless FIFA takes an unprecedented decision, the Azzurri will have to wait until the next cycle for another chance to return to the world’s biggest football stage.
