Italy's sports minister Andrea Abodi on Thursday firmly dismissed proposals that Italy should be admitted to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in place of Iran, saying the idea was neither possible nor appropriate. "Qualification happens on the pitch," he stated, flatly rejecting a suggestion put forward by Paolo Zampolli, the United States' special envoy for global partnerships.
Zampolli said he had approached both US president Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino with the proposal to replace Iran with Italy, reportedly as part of an effort to repair relations between Trump and Italian premier Giorgia Meloni following the US president's criticisms of Pope Leo XIV.
