“Italy may replace Iran in the World Cup after Trump’s intervention.”

A genuine diplomatic shock is unfolding in the world of football: Italy may be on the verge of entering the 2026 World Cup in place of Iran, following a surprising intervention by a U.S. special envoy, who formally requested this substitution from FIFA. This news is stirring the waters of international football and puts the Azzurra back in the running for the title, in a twist that no one expected.

Paolo Zampolli, an Italian by birth and special envoy of former President Donald Trump, revealed to the Financial Times that he personally contacted both Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino to suggest that Italy take Iran’s spot in the World Cup, which will take place in the United States this summer. “I confirm that I suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran in the World Cup,” Zampolli stated. “I am of Italian descent and it would be a dream to see the Azzurra in a tournament organized by the U.S. With four World Cup titles, they have the pedigree to justify this inclusion.”

This diplomatic maneuver arises in a context of recent tensions between the Trump administration and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which have escalated due to public attacks by the former U.S. president on Pope Leo XIV in the context of the conflict with Iran. Zampolli’s initiative thus appears to be an attempt to repair political and diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The situation of Iran in the World Cup is far from resolved. The country has formally requested FIFA to move its matches from the United States to Mexico due to the delicate geopolitical situation. In an official statement, Iran reiterated its intention to participate in the World Cup but conditioned its presence on FIFA’s formal response regarding the change of match venues.

So far, neither the White House, FIFA, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), nor the Football Federation of Iran have issued official comments on this explosive proposal. The institutional silence only adds to the mystery surrounding this potential substitution.

It is worth recalling that Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time after losing the playoff final against Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties in March of this year. The possibility of an unexpected return to the biggest stage of world football, thanks to a political and diplomatic intervention, seems almost surreal.

However, the complexity of FIFA’s regulations makes this substitution a highly complicated process that is unlikely to occur without significant consequences. The governing body’s legislation does not allow for unilateral changes of this nature, which raises a huge question mark over the practical viability of the proposal.

Nevertheless, the mere mention of Italy replacing Iran at the 2026 World Cup serves as a warning about how unstable and unpredictable the global football landscape can be, where politics and sport intertwine explosively. The coming days will be crucial to determine whether this initiative by Paolo Zampolli is merely a bold diplomatic move or if it will truly return Italy to the world stage that, by right and history, it deserves to be on.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.