In what could become one of the biggest scandals to rock the football world, a senior envoy to US President Donald Trump has reportedly asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at the 2026 World Cup, despite Iran having already qualified and publicly stating that it is ready to participate.
The proposal, first reported by the Financial Times, has raised serious questions about political interference in world football and FIFA’s willingness to entertain geopolitical lobbying.
FIFA is already under scrutiny and faces allegations of corruption over its relationship with Trump after its president, Gianni Infantino, awarded the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize” in December to the US president. The move was widely viewed as an attempt to curry favour with the White House ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and has triggered ethics complaints over alleged breaches of FIFA’s political neutrality.
According to the FT Trump’s special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested to Infantino and Trump that Italy should take Iran’s place at the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada. Zampolli reportedly argued that Italy’s four World Cup titles gave it the pedigree to justify inclusion, even though the Azzurri failed to qualify after losing a play-off to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The move was reportedly pitched as part of an effort to repair strained ties between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, amid fallout from the US president’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV over the war on Iran.
Iran, however, has pushed back firmly. Yesterday, Tehran said that it is fully prepared for the national team’s participation in the tournament, while FIFA president Infantino has also said that Iran is expected to take part. Earlier this month, Iranian officials said they were awaiting FIFA guarantees and had asked for matches to be moved from the US to Mexico because of security concerns, but Tehran has not withdrawn from the competition.
The controversy is likely to intensify scrutiny of FIFA’s relationship with Trump ahead of a tournament already overshadowed by war, visa concerns and the politicisation of sport. The Trump administration has also reportedly moved to bar football fans over alleged anti-Semitism. Because the administration uses the highly controversial IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, critics warn that football fans who have criticised Israel are likely to be banned from the games.
🚨BREAKING: Watch The Video Clip Here ➤
