US pressures FIFA to replace Iran at World Cup

Italy, whose failure to qualify sparked outrage at home, should be granted the Islamic Republic’s spot, a special envoy has claimed

A US special envoy is pressuring FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at the upcoming World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the three North American nations.

Italy failed to qualify for the tournament for a third successive time after a humiliating loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a playoff, triggering widespread backlash at home and leading to the resignation of the head of the national football federation.

Paolo Zampolli, an Italian-American who heads the Office of Global Partnerships at the US State Department, told Corriere della Sera he wanted “to assure Italians that I will do everything possible to welcome them with open arms to the World Cup in the United States” by pushing for them to replace Iran. His lobbying efforts were first reported by the Financial Times. Zampolli argues that “Italy, not Iran, should go to the World Cup” and says he would be disappointed if he couldn’t see Italian players “on home soil.”

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The US war on Iran has cast uncertainty over the Middle Eastern nation’s participation in the tournament. Iranian officials have issued mixed signals, with some calling for the Iranian team’s matches to be relocated from the US to Mexico. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is Swiss-born and also holds Italian citizenship, has maintained that Iran is expected to compete in the US.

Both publications described Zampolli’s lobbying as an attempt to repair newly strained US-Italy relations. Tensions escalated after President Donald Trump criticized Pope Leo and later Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who rebuked him for targeting the pontiff. According to Corriere della Sera, securing the participation of Italy – who are four-time World Cup winners – could also carry domestic political benefits for Trump, potentially boosting Republican support among Italian-American voters ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Separately, media reports last week stated that Trump’s special envoy for combating anti-Semitism, Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, warned European officials they could face travel restrictions during the World Cup in retaliation for alleged lapses in addressing the issue.

The US-Israeli bombing campaign aimed at toppling Iran’s government, launched in late February, has failed to achieve its objectives and has instead led to a prolonged standoff that has disrupted energy supplies from the Persian Gulf. Earlier this week, Trump announced an indefinite pause in military operations, claiming Tehran needed time to resolve internal divisions and accept US terms for ending the conflict. Iranian officials, however, insist Washington must acknowledge that it has suffered a strategic defeat.