Italy dismisses replacing Iran at World Cup after Trump official idea
AP News • • sports
Key Points:
- Italian sports officials firmly rejected a suggestion by a U.S. envoy to replace Iran with Italy at the upcoming World Cup, emphasizing that such a swap is neither possible nor appropriate.
- Iran remains committed to participating in the World Cup in the U.S. despite ongoing Middle East conflicts, with FIFA affirming the scheduled games in Los Angeles and Seattle will proceed as planned.
- Paolo Zampolli, the U.S. special envoy who proposed the contingency plan, framed it as a non-political request made to President Trump and FIFA's president in case Iran withdraws at the last minute.
- Iranian and Italian officials criticized the proposal, with Iran's embassy calling it a politically motivated attempt to exclude their team, and Italian leaders labeling it offensive and shameful.
- FIFA maintains that if a team withdraws, it can replace them with another association, though traditionally replacements come from the same continental confederation; the United Arab Emirates is the next eligible Asian team should Iran pull out.
