Italy rejects Trump envoy World Cup swap idea

Italian officials and football figures moved quickly to dismiss a proposal that Italy should replace Iran at this year’s World Cup, after a US presidential envoy said he had raised the idea with Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.Paolo Zampolli, an Italian-American described as an envoy for global relations, said he had suggested Italy be considered if Iran were unable to participate, despite Italy failing to qualify for the tournament.Italian Olympic Committee president Luciano Buonfiglio said: “First of all, I don’t think it’s possible. Second, I’d feel offended. In order to go to the World Cup, you have to earn it.”Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said: “Firstly it is not possible, secondly it is not appropriate...You qualify on the pitch,” while economy minister Giancarlo Giorgetti described the concept as “shameful”.Zampolli said Italy’s record as four-time world champions justified inclusion, but he has no official connection to FIFA, the World Cup, or the Italian Football Federation.The episode landed awkwardly in Italy, where the men’s national team have missed the last two World Cups and failed in a play-off again in the current cycle, extending a run of absence that has become a national talking point.The proposal also cut against the direction FIFA have signalled publicly, with Infantino recently saying Iran would be present after qualifying for the tournament.Infantino said: “The Iranian team is coming, for sure. They really want to play, and they should play. Sport should be outside politics.”There is no indication Iran will withdraw or be suspended, although the team has sought contingency measures since the outbreak of the Iran war.Iran have asked FIFA to move their three group matches from the United States to Mexico, a request that was rejected, leaving the team scheduled to play fixtures on US soil as planned.Any attempt to remove a qualified team would also raise questions over precedent and process, including which confederation would supply a replacement and how that selection would be determined.Italian coach Gianni De Biasi said any vacancy would logically be filled by the next eligible team in Iran’s qualifying pathway rather than a European side.De Biasi said: “Furthermore, I believe Italy doesn’t need Trump’s support on an issue like this. I think we can manage on our own.”The discussion comes as the United States and Italy attempt to manage wider diplomatic tensions linked to the Iran war, but Italian stakeholders have treated the idea as both impractical and inconsistent with football’s sporting merit model.FIFA and tournament organisers now face a communications challenge rather than an operational one, with a need to keep focus on delivery while avoiding the perception that geopolitical considerations could override qualification outcomes.