Trump envoy admits he’s lobbying FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at this summer’s World Cup

The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. SportUS SportTrump envoy admits he’s lobbying FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at this summer’s World CupDiplomat Paolo Zampolli suggests four-time champions should be given a route back into the tournament after failing to qualify at the expense of the war-torn Middle Eastern stateJoe Sommerlad Thursday 23 April 2026 11:44 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2963437","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/us-sport/trump-world-cup-iran-italy-b2963437.html","title":"Trump’s envoy lobbying FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at this summer’s World Cup"}}CloseRelated: Donald Trump is given newly-created peace prize by FIFA President Gianni InfantinoInside Sport newsletter: Get an expert guide to the biggest moments shaping the world of sportGet our free Inside Sport newsletterGet our free Inside Sport newsletterEmail*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice{"className":"sc-1ge0fwe-0","newsletterData":{"regSourceNewsletter":"IND_Inside_Sport_CDP","regTitle":"Inside Sport","subscriptionGroup":"inside_sport","subscriptionGroupId":"9cec95c5-a973-40ac-9b05-03d636c07853","type":"sport","pathPrefix":["/sport","/f1"],"associatedAuthors":["Lawrence Ostlere","Kieran Jackson"],"title":"Inside Sport newsletter: Get an expert guide to the biggest moments shaping the world of sport","mobileTitle":"Get our free Inside Sport newsletter","imageSrc":"https://static.independent.co.uk/static-assets/images/newsletters/InsideSport1_1.png","newsletterKey":"receiveInsideSportNews","regSourceSection":"US Sport","regSourceMethod":"NSCs"},"isClima...