An aide to US President Donald Trump has called for the Fifa to swap Iran with Italy in the next World Cup, according to reports in the Financial Times on Wednesday.
According to the FT, which cites people familiar with the matter, the plan is also part of an effort to mend relations between Mr Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after her government and widely supportive sections of the Italian media fell out with the American president following his assaults on Pope Leo XIV over Iran war
I also said to Trump and (Fifa president Gianni) Infantino that, instead of Iran, we put Italy on the pitch at the World Cup. And as an Italian native, watching the Azzurri at a tournament in the US would be a dream come true.. US special envoy Paolo Zampolli told the FT: “They have won four titles, so they deserve to be there.
The White House, Fifa, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
The national team felt the shock of not qualifying for the World Cup for a third time, in March after losing out to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties (4-1) in their playoff final.
Iran qualified for a fourth consecutive World Cup last year, but asked Fifa to relocate its three group stage matches from the U.S. to Mexico shortly after fighting broke out in Ukraine.
On a visit to an Iran squad training camp in Turkey last month, Fifa President Gianni Infantino announced that all matches would be held as currently scheduled but offered assistance preparing the team for the tournament.
“We are preparing and organizing ourselves for the World Cup, but we will abide by the decisions of the officials,” Iranian football federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj told journalists at a pro-government rally in Tehran on Wednesday.
“For now, the decision is a total commitment to preparing the national team for the World Cup.
Under Article Six of the World Cup regulations, Fifa is entitled to replace any team that withdraws at the discretion of its own governing body and so it was up to football’s world governing body who would step in if Iran pulled out.
The AFC would be expected to strongly push for the replacement being from Asia with the UAE – who lost a qualification playoff against Iraq last November – the clear front-runner.
Italia 1990 remains the only World Cup appearance for UAE.
The tournament — also co-hosted by Mexico and Canada — begins June 11, while Iran opens its tournament four days later in Los Angeles against New Zealand.