April 24, 2026 | 11:20 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Italy has dismissed what it deems a "shameful" proposal by Trump's special envoy to replace Iran in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Luciano Buonfiglio, said the request is impossible. "Second, I’d feel offended. In order to go to the World Cup, you have to earn it," Buonfiglio said in Rome, as quoted from La Gazetta dello Sport and Al Jazeera.
Italy's Sports Minister Andrea Abodi echoed the sentiment, calling participation in the World Cup through political lobbying—as the Trump envoy proposed—an "inappropriate" move.
"You qualify on the pitch," Abodi said, referring to World Cup qualifiers.
Trump's envoy for global relations Paolo Zampolli said earlier that he has made suggestions to both Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming global football tournament.
Zampolli argued that as a country with four world champion titles, Gli Azzurri deserved a place in the 2026 World Cup.
Al Jazeera reported that Zampolli's proposal seemed to be an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni after a spat linked to Trump's attacks against Pope Leo over the Iran war.
The Italian national team failed to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup after losing to Bosnia & Herzegovina in the final playoff match for the European zone on April 1, 2026. In the match on Bosnian soil, Italy lost in a penalty shootout with a score of 4-1 after a 1-1 draw in regular time.
This is the third consecutive failure for Italy to qualify for the World Cup.
On the other hand, Iran's fate in the World Cup is growing increasingly concerning amid war waged by the US and Israel on Tehran.
FIFA, through its president Gianni Infantino, assured that Iran would still participate in the 2026 World Cup despite the political tension with one of the host countries.
Iran had requested FIFA change the location of their matches from the United States to Mexico, but was rejected.
The World Cup this year is co-hosted by three countries, the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The United States also reportedly planned to restrict visa issuance to the Iranian national team delegation. In essence, only players, coaches, and technical staff would be granted permission to enter the United States.
Read: Trump and Meloni Clash Over Pope Leo XIV and Iran
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