WeeklySA_AdminTOURNAMENT: A Trump ally’s suggestion that Iran be kicked out of the 2026 World Cup and replaced by Italy has been firmly rejected in Rome, with officials insisting qualification must be earned on the pitch…
By WSAM Sports Reporter
Italy has pushed back firmly against suggestions that it could be parachuted into the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Iran’s expense, declaring that a place at football’s biggest tournament must be earned — not handed out through political pressure.
The controversy erupted after reports that Paolo Zampolli, a Trump ally and US special envoy for global partnerships, had suggested to FIFA that Iran be removed from the tournament and replaced by Italy. Zampolli reportedly argued that the four-time world champions had the pedigree to justify inclusion in a World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
But Italian Olympic Committee president Luciano Buonfiglio gave the idea short shrift, saying he would feel “offended” if Italy were granted Iran’s place without qualifying. His message was blunt: World Cup participation must be won on the field. “First of all, I don’t think it’s possible,” Buonfiglio reacted.
“Second, I’d feel offended. In order to go to the World Cup, you have to earn it”.
Italy’s sports minister Andrea Abodi also rejected the suggestion, saying it would not be appropriate for the Azzurri to replace Iran and stressing that qualification is decided “on the pitch”.
The response reflects both sporting principle and national embarrassment. Italy, despite its proud World Cup history, failed to qualify for the tournament for a third successive time after losing a playoff final on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
For many Italians, being handed a place through political manoeuvring would not only cheapen the tournament, but deepen the humiliation of another failed qualifying campaign.
The controversy comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions involving Iran and the United States. But Washington has now moved to distance itself from the replacement proposal.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States did not object to Iranian players participating in the World Cup, making clear that no official decision had been taken to bar the team from entering the country. “Nothing from the US has told them they can’t come,” Rubio told reporters. Rubio, however, drew a distinction between players and members of Iran’s wider delegation, warning that people with links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could be denied entry into the United States on national security grounds.
That position leaves Iran’s participation intact, while potentially creating complications around officials, security personnel or other delegation members.
FIFA, for its part, has shown no appetite for removing Iran from the tournament. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously said Iran “has to come”, noting that the team qualified and represents its people.
Under FIFA tournament regulations, replacement of a participating association would generally arise if a team withdrew or if a match could not be played because of force majeure, leaving the organising body to determine the appropriate response. There is no current indication that Iran has withdrawn or that FIFA intends to expel the team.
Iran qualified for the 2026 World Cup through the proper route, while Italy did not. That simple sporting fact sits at the heart of the backlash.
The proposal has also triggered broader debate over whether global tournaments can remain insulated from international politics. In reality, World Cups have always carried political weight. But Italy’s refusal to entertain the idea is a reminder that even in a volatile geopolitical climate, football’s basic competitive principle still matters.
For the Azzurri, the painful truth remains unchanged: their absence from the World Cup is a football failure, not a diplomatic vacancy.
The Iranian Embassy in Rome criticised the proposal in a post on the US social media platform X, saying football “belongs to the people, not to politicians.”
“Italy achieved greatness on the pitch, not thanks to political gains,” the embassy said, quoted by the Turkish news agency Anadolu Ajansı, adding that the attempt to exclude Iran from the World Cup showed the US was in “moral bankruptcy.”
And for FIFA, the controversy is another early test of a tournament already being staged across three countries, under intense political and security scrutiny.
For now, Iran remain in. Italy remain out.
And Rome’s message is clear: no country should reach the World Cup through the side door.
