A political proposal to install Italy in place of Iran at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been dismissed by officials, raising questions over how replacement rules would actually work if a qualified nation cannot participate.
A proposal suggesting that the Italy national football team could replace the Iran national football team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026 has been rejected by officials, with governing bodies reiterating that qualification pathways cannot be altered for political reasons.
The idea, reportedly put forward by Paolo Zampolli, a special envoy linked to former US President Donald Trump, suggested that Italy could be installed as a replacement should Iran’s participation become unworkable due to geopolitical tensions.
However, there is no indication that FIFA has formally considered the proposal, and political figures in Italy have moved quickly to distance themselves from the suggestion.
Italy’s sports minister Andrea Abodi described the idea as neither “feasible nor appropriate”, stressing that World Cup participation must be decided “on the pitch”.
“Italy’s possible requalification for the 2026 World Cup, which US president Donald Trump’s envoy, Paolo Zampolli, has reportedly proposed to Fifa, is firstly not possible, and secondly not appropriate,” Abodi told Sky News. “I don’t know what comes first. Qualification is on the pitch.”
Why Iran’s participation has been questioned
The emergence of the proposal reflects broader uncertainty surrounding Iran’s involvement in a tournament co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
Security concerns and diplomatic tensions have prompted discussion over logistics, particularly regarding matches scheduled to take place in the US. Reports have indicated that contingency planning could involve relocating Iran fixtures to alternative host nations within the tournament structure.
At the same time, US officials have clarified that they do not object to Iran’s participation in the tournament itself, although restrictions may apply to individuals linked to sanctioned organisations.
As it stands, Iran remain a qualified participant and have not withdrawn from the competition.
Meanwhile, the Italian national football team failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after being eliminated in the UEFA qualifying play-offs.
Italy were beaten by the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team in the play-off round, ending their route to the expanded 48-team tournament. The result confirmed a third absence from a World Cup in the last four editions, following failures to qualify in 2018 and 2022.
The outcome has intensified scrutiny on the national setup, although there has been no immediate structural overhaul announced by the Italian Football Federation in direct response to the defeat. Head coach Luciano Spalletti remains in position, having only taken charge in 2023.
What the rules actually say
Under FIFA regulations, there is no mechanism that allows for a non-qualified team to be inserted into the tournament purely on merit or commercial appeal.
If a qualified team is unable to participate, FIFA’s established approach is to prioritise replacements from the same confederation. In Iran’s case, that would fall under the Asian Football Confederation.
Typically, this would involve selecting the next-best performing team in the qualification process or revisiting inter-confederation play-off structures, depending on timing. While FIFA retains ultimate discretion, precedent shows decisions are guided by competitive integrity rather than global profile.
Limited precedent for late changes
Instances of teams being replaced after qualification are rare.
One of the most cited examples remains Yugoslavia’s exclusion from the 1992 European Championship due to international sanctions, with Denmark stepping in as a late replacement from within the same qualifying structure.
In World Cup contexts, withdrawals have more often resulted in adjustments within existing qualification pathways rather than external replacements.
At present, there is no active process to remove Iran from the tournament, and no formal pathway under consideration that would see Italy take their place.
