Paolo Zampolli Pushes FIFA To Replace Iran With Italy At World Cup 2026

A proposal to replace Iran with Italy at the 2026 World Cup has triggered a rapid political and sporting backlash, with multiple outlets tracing the idea to a U.S. special envoy and then to competing statements about whether Iran’s players will be allowed to participate.

“Italian government officials have hit back at suggestions that their national football team could still be sent to the World Cup 2026, even if already-qualified Iran does not compete at the finals”

Al Jazeera

The Financial Times reported that Paolo Zampolli, described as a longtime friend of President Donald Trump and now serving as U.S. special envoy for global partnerships, suggested that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup, a tournament that “will be held starting in June in the United States, Mexico and Canada,” according to The Washingtonpost.

Al Jazeera

Zampolli told the Financial Times, “I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup,” and added, “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”

France 24, citing AFP, reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran’s footballers “will be welcome at this year's World Cup,” while distancing Washington from the proposal.

CNN framed the episode as a suggestion that “probably won’t happen,” but noted that the idea itself “caused global headlines.”

The BBC reported that “Fifa has no plans to replace Iran with Italy,” citing sources after the switch was proposed by Trump’s special envoy.

Across the coverage, the central claim remained the same: Zampolli publicly pushed FIFA and Trump to consider a swap, while governments and football authorities insisted on different outcomes for Iran’s participation.

The proposal landed in the middle of uncertainty about Iran’s participation, which multiple reports tied to the war between the United States and Israel and to the scheduling of Iran’s group matches across the United States.

France 24 said Iran’s participation at the World Cup “has been thrown into doubt by the war with the US and Israel that broke out on February 28,” and it added that 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.

BBC

The BBC similarly described “ongoing uncertainty over Iran's participation in the tournament because of the war with US and Israel,” and it listed Iran’s scheduled opponents and venues: “New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June respectively, and Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.”

Al Jazeera reported that “Since the United States-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, Iran’s participation in this summer’s edition of FIFA’s global showpiece has been in doubt because all of the country’s group-stage matches are scheduled to be played in the US.”

CNN connected the uncertainty to Trump’s own comments, noting that Trump said Team Melli was “welcome” but suggested playing in the US may not be appropriate “for their own life and safety.”

In parallel, FIFA leadership repeatedly pointed to Iran’s planned participation, with the BBC quoting Infantino saying, “The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” and also quoting Infantino’s Washington remarks that “They really want to play, and they should play.”

Against that backdrop, Zampolli’s swap idea was presented as a political repair effort, with CNN saying it was “an attempt to repair the strained relationship between the president and Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni.”

Al Jazeera added that the plan “seems to be an effort by Zampolli to repair ties after Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni fell out amid the US leader’s attacks against Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war.”

As the proposal circulated, U.S. and Italian officials issued sharply different messages about what Washington would do and what Italy would accept.

“- Published Fifa has no plans to replace Iran with Italy at this summer's World Cup according to sources, after the switch was proposed by US president Donald Trump's special envoy”

BBC

France 24 reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in the Oval Office, “No-one "from the US has told them they can't come," Rubio said of Iran's World Cup participation.

Rubio warned that the United States may bar entry to members of the Iranian delegation it judged to have ties to the IRGC, saying, “We may not be able to let them in, but not the athletes themselves,” according to France 24.

Italy’s sports minister Andrea Abodi rejected the swap, telling Sky News, “Firstly it is not possible; second, is not appropriate, you qualify on the pitch,” as reported by France 24 and echoed by the Guardian.

The Guardian quoted Abodi saying, “Italy’s possible requalification for the 2026 World Cup, which US president Donald Trump’s envoy, Paolo Zampolli, has reportedly proposed to Fifa, is firstly not possible, and secondly not appropriate,” and added, “Qualification is on the pitch.”

Italian Olympic Committee president Luciano Buonfiglio said, “I would feel offended. You have to earn your place in the World Cup,” according to France 24, and the BBC quoted him adding, “In order to go to the World Cup, you have to earn it,”.

FIFA leadership continued to insist on Iran’s presence, with the BBC quoting Infantino: “The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” and with Al Jazeera reporting that FIFA’s position was that “The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” as Infantino told CNBC: “They really want to play, and they should play.”

Even within the U.S. political orbit, Trump’s own stance appeared cautious, with the Mirror quoting Trump’s Truth Social line that “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to the World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”

Different outlets portrayed the Zampolli proposal through distinct lenses, even when they described the same core facts about the swap request and the pushback from FIFA and Italian officials.

The Washingtonpost framed the episode around Paolo Zampolli’s proximity to Donald Trump, describing him as “a longtime friend of President Donald Trump” and emphasizing that he “has suggested that Italy replace Iran” at the World Cup, while the paper’s reader-facing section included disapproval of the idea as “corrupt and politically motivated.”

CNN

CNN emphasized embarrassment and the likelihood of failure, writing that “Replacing Iran with Italy at the World Cup probably won’t happen” and that “The suggestion alone is still embarrassing,” while also quoting Zampolli’s claim that he suggested the swap to Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

The BBC, by contrast, focused on FIFA’s operational posture, reporting that “Fifa has no plans to replace Iran with Italy,” and it anchored that to Infantino’s statement that “The Iranian team is coming, for sure.”

Al Jazeera highlighted the Italian government’s rebuttal and the political context, saying Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi rebuked the idea with “it is not appropriate… You qualify on the pitch,” and it also quoted Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti describing the concept as “shameful.”

The Guardian concentrated on the meritocratic argument, quoting Abodi’s Sky News remarks that the swap was “not appropriate” and “Qualification is on the pitch,” and it also described the broader football fallout in Italy, including that “This month its football federation president, Gabriele Gravina, resigned and Gennaro Gattuso stood down as national-team manager.”

Even tabloids and alternative outlets treated the proposal as a political bombshell, with SPORTbible saying “a top envoy to US President Donald Trump has requested that a European nation replace Iran” and noting that the tournament was “just 49 days away,” while The Mirror quoted Abodi insisting replacing Iran with “the four-time World Cup winners is neither appropriate nor possible.”

Across these accounts, the same names—Paolo Zampolli, Gianni Infantino, Andrea Abodi, and Marco Rubio—appeared, but the emphasis shifted between political motive, sporting fairness, and FIFA’s stated intentions.

The stakes described by the outlets revolve around whether FIFA will keep Iran in the draw and how any replacement decision would be handled under FIFA rules, alongside the diplomatic and security framing that has accompanied the debate.

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Deccan Herald

The BBC cited FIFA’s regulatory authority, stating that under FIFA rules the world governing body has “sole discretion” on what happens if a team withdraws or is excluded, and it quoted Article six of its World Cup regulations saying, “Fifa may decide to replace the Participating Member Association in question with another association.”

Deccan Herald

CNN described the practical schedule implications by stating that “Iran is set to play New Zealand, Egypt and Belgium this summer,” and it specified that “two matches being hosted in Los Angeles and the other in Seattle,” with a potential round-of-32 meeting in Dallas on “July 3.”

France 24 reported that Rubio said the issue would be about “some of the other people (they) would want to bring with them,” and it warned that the U.S. “may yet bar entry” to delegation members tied to the IRGC, while insisting “not the athletes themselves.”

Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said the Ministry of Sports and Youth had ensured arrangements, quoting her statement that “all necessary arrangements for the team’s effective participation in the tournament have been ensured by the Ministry of Sports and Youth.”

The Mirror and SPORTbible both pointed to the clock, with SPORTbible saying the tournament was “just 49 days away” and with the Mirror noting that “World Cup qualification is over, but uncertainty about Iran participating has led to proposals that Italy could replace the country in North America this summer.”

Meanwhile, FIFA’s public line remained consistent across multiple reports: Infantino told AFP that Iran will play “where they are supposed to be, according to the draw,” and the BBC reiterated Infantino’s “for sure” message.

Even as the proposal was rejected, the dispute continued to shape political messaging, with Trump’s Truth Social statement quoted by the Mirror that he “really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” and with the Iranian embassy’s response to Zampolli’s suggestion reported by the BBC as “moral bankruptcy” and “political privileges.”