Italy dismisses replacing Iran at the World Cup after suggestion by Trump official

Four-time champion Italy is not interested in replacing Iran at the upcoming World Cup in North America following a suggestion to that effect by U.S. special envoy Paolo Zampolli.

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When you have success in life, uh, and you have success at whatever you do, there’s *** lot of planning and preparation, uh, that goes, goes with that, and at this moment in time we can’t do that. If, uh, the game goes ahead over in Mexico, we have, uh, you know, the difficulties of getting out of, uh, Baghdad. About 60% of my players play in Iraq, uh, all my backroom staff live in Iraq. Uh, medical staff live in Qatar and uh we’re having troubles getting our Mexican visas at this moment and my plan ***, uh, before we started all this was, uh, to have *** pre-camp in the US and, uh, to, to obviously adjust to the time difference, only *** small pre pre-camp, uh, to adjust to the time difference and obviously the weather and the conditions there, but uh that’s all been scrapped now, that’s, uh, that’s off because we can’t get out of Baghdad. I think. Uh, that, uh, you know, FIFA need to obviously make *** quick decision on this because it’s, it’s, uh, you know, *** bit unfair at this moment, uh, with what we would have to go through, but, you know, if, for example, that, uh, Surin Arme can still play Bolivia, if we can’t get there, and we could always play the winner just before the World Cup in, in America, and let us prepare properly, and, uh, do everything that’s required to, to be successful. It wouldn’t be fair if you could only get kind of *** B team to this game, right? Uh, that would not be *** satisfactory solution. What has FIFA’s engagement been like with you, are they, uh, are they receptive to your, your issues and concerns? Yeah, the communi communication with FIFA and the AFC has been very good with the president, Adnan. You know, all we can do is, I’ve gotta prepare that the game is on and we’re going. I would, uh, as I said, uh, for me. You know, the question, there’s *** couple of big questions. One is, is Iran going to go to the World Cup? Or if they’re not going to go to the World Cup, it would give FIFA time to make that decision. If we had that playoff game the week before the World Cup starts. Bolivia and Suriname can play, uh, in, in March, they’ve got no complications with flights or anything, they’re, they can get themselves there straight away. Um, and we could play the winner of those, of that game just before the World Cup starts. The winner stays to play the World Cup and the loser goes home. But, and that would also give FIFA the time to, uh, you know, deal with the Iran situation if they go or if they don’t go. But, uh, at this moment in time, I’m just focused on ourselves, uh, I’m focusing on the game going ahead, uh, to make sure that, uh, the players and everything’s ready, but as I said to you, Don, it’s, uh, Uh, the complications at this moment with the pre preparation is, is very difficult. Have FIFA told you when they’ll make *** decision on this? No, not at this moment, we’re just in communication. Uh, I’ve got great communication with the FIFA people and so does the organization. And uh it’s one step at *** time, one day at *** time, and it’s stressful, you know, *** lot of sleepless nights worrying about obviously getting that that planning right, but uh it’s very, very hard to do that when you’re, when the, the, the airspace that we’ve been told by, again, we’ve been told the airspace in Baghdad. Where so many of the players and staff is, will not be reopened till the first of April.

Italian sports officials say four-time champion Italy is not interested in replacing Iran at the upcoming World Cup following a suggestion to that effect by a Trump administration official.Iran has not withdrawn from the World Cup, and the team is preparing to play in the U.S. despite the war in the Middle East. FIFA has insisted its group stage games near Los Angeles and in Seattle will go ahead as planned in June.The Financial Times reported that Paolo Zampolli, the U.S. special envoy for global partnerships, had suggested the swap to President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.In a phone interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, Zampolli emphasized that “my request is not a political request.” The ask, which was made to Trump and Infantino on Wednesday, was meant as a contingency plan in case Iran could not participate in the soccer tournament at the last minute.”I had a dream,” Zampolli told the AP. “My request was for the Italian people and the American-Italian people.”He said in the FT interview that, with four titles, the Italian national team’s appearance in the World Cup would be justified.Italian officials pushed back hard at the suggestion, with Sports Minister Andrea Abodi saying Thursday that “first of all, it’s not possible. Secondly, it’s not a good idea.”Luciano Buonfiglio, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee, which oversees all sports in Italy, also dismissed the idea.”I would feel offended,” Buonfiglio said. “You need to deserve to go to the World Cup.”Italy’s Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti called the suggested swap “shameful.”Hours later, Trump was asked at the White House about Iranian soccer players potentially not being allowed into the U.S. for the World Cup. He initially joked, “I don’t think about it too much” before adding, “That’s an interesting question.””Let me give that some thought,” Trump added.He then deferred to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said, “Nothing from the U.S. has told them they can’t come.””The problem with Iran would be, not their athletes. It would be some of the other people that they want to bring with them,” Rubio said, suggesting that Iran’s soccer team could bring in people loyal to militant groups disguised as journalists and trainers.”We may not be able to let them in,” Rubio said of people around the team. “But not the athletes themselves.”He added that there had been “speculation that Iran may decide not to come, but then Italy could fill their spot,” without adding details.”If they decide not to come on their own, it’s ’cause they decided not to come,” the secretary of state said of Iranian athletes.While Iran was among the first teams to qualify for the World Cup, Italy missed out for the third consecutive tournament, resulting in the resignations of its national team coach and soccer federation president.Zampolli has long been a part of the Trump family orbit, having introduced then-Melania Knauss to Donald Trump at a New York Fashion Week party in 1998. He regularly posts on social media about his meetings with Infantino, calling him the “King of Soccer.” Trump last year appointed him as special representative for global partnerships.In March, The New York Times reported that Zampolli had reached out to a top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, informing him that the mother of his child was in the country illegally as the two were locked in a custody dispute. She was ultimately deported.The White House did not return a request for comment. Its World Cup task force, housed under the Department of Homeland Security, said it had no comment. FIFA also would not comment.The Iranian embassy in Rome denounced Zampolli’s remarks in a comment on X.”Football belongs to the people, not to politicians,” the embassy said. “Italy earned its soccer prowess on the field, not thanks to political maneuvers. The attempt to exclude Iran from the World Cup shows only the ‘moral bankruptcy’ of the United States, which fears even the presence of 11 young Iranians on the field of play.”Iran’s status at the World Cup, which starts in June, has been a source of debate and concern since the U.S. and Israel launched military attacks on the country in February.Trump in March discouraged Iran from participating in the tournament, citing safety concerns.FIFA has consistently said Iran will stick to the World Cup schedule decided last December, and refused to negotiate any suggestion of moving the team’s games to co-host Mexico.An Iranian government spokesperson said Wednesday that the men’s national team is preparing for “proud and successful participation” in its World Cup games in the U.S.Iran earned one of eight guaranteed World Cup places allocated to the Asian Football Confederation. Should Iran pull out, in theory the replacement should be the United Arab Emirates, the highest-ranked Asian team that didn’t qualify.One possible element of uncertainty is the language of the World Cup tournament rules.FIFA wrote that it can decide to replace a withdrawn team “with another association,” though without specifying the replacement must come from the same continental confederation.___Dunbar reported from Geneva and Kim reported from Washington.

ROME —

Italian sports officials say four-time champion Italy is not interested in replacing Iran at the upcoming World Cup following a suggestion to that effect by a Trump administration official.

Iran has not withdrawn from the World Cup, and the team is preparing to play in the U.S. despite the war in the Middle East. FIFA has insisted its group stage games near Los Angeles and in Seattle will go ahead as planned in June.

The Financial Times reported that Paolo Zampolli, the U.S. special envoy for global partnerships, had suggested the swap to President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

In a phone interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, Zampolli emphasized that “my request is not a political request.” The ask, which was made to Trump and Infantino on Wednesday, was meant as a contingency plan in case Iran could not participate in the soccer tournament at the last minute.

“I had a dream,” Zampolli told the AP. “My request was for the Italian people and the American-Italian people.”

He said in the FT interview that, with four titles, the Italian national team’s appearance in the World Cup would be justified.

Italian officials pushed back hard at the suggestion, with Sports Minister Andrea Abodi saying Thursday that “first of all, it’s not possible. Secondly, it’s not a good idea.”

Luciano Buonfiglio, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee, which oversees all sports in Italy, also dismissed the idea.

“I would feel offended,” Buonfiglio said. “You need to deserve to go to the World Cup.”

Italy’s Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti called the suggested swap “shameful.”

Hours later, Trump was asked at the White House about Iranian soccer players potentially not being allowed into the U.S. for the World Cup. He initially joked, “I don’t think about it too much” before adding, “That’s an interesting question.”

“Let me give that some thought,” Trump added.

He then deferred to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said, “Nothing from the U.S. has told them they can’t come.”

“The problem with Iran would be, not their athletes. It would be some of the other people that they want to bring with them,” Rubio said, suggesting that Iran’s soccer team could bring in people loyal to militant groups disguised as journalists and trainers.

“We may not be able to let them in,” Rubio said of people around the team. “But not the athletes themselves.”

He added that there had been “speculation that Iran may decide not to come, but then Italy could fill their spot,” without adding details.

“If they decide not to come on their own, it’s ’cause they decided not to come,” the secretary of state said of Iranian athletes.

While Iran was among the first teams to qualify for the World Cup, Italy missed out for the third consecutive tournament, resulting in the resignations of its national team coach and soccer federation president.

Zampolli has long been a part of the Trump family orbit, having introduced then-Melania Knauss to Donald Trump at a New York Fashion Week party in 1998. He regularly posts on social media about his meetings with Infantino, calling him the “King of Soccer.” Trump last year appointed him as special representative for global partnerships.

In March, The New York Times reported that Zampolli had reached out to a top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, informing him that the mother of his child was in the country illegally as the two were locked in a custody dispute. She was ultimately deported.

The White House did not return a request for comment. Its World Cup task force, housed under the Department of Homeland Security, said it had no comment. FIFA also would not comment.

The Iranian embassy in Rome denounced Zampolli’s remarks in a comment on X.

“Football belongs to the people, not to politicians,” the embassy said. “Italy earned its soccer prowess on the field, not thanks to political maneuvers. The attempt to exclude Iran from the World Cup shows only the ‘moral bankruptcy’ of the United States, which fears even the presence of 11 young Iranians on the field of play.”

Iran’s status at the World Cup, which starts in June, has been a source of debate and concern since the U.S. and Israel launched military attacks on the country in February.

Trump in March discouraged Iran from participating in the tournament, citing safety concerns.

FIFA has consistently said Iran will stick to the World Cup schedule decided last December, and refused to negotiate any suggestion of moving the team’s games to co-host Mexico.

An Iranian government spokesperson said Wednesday that the men’s national team is preparing for “proud and successful participation” in its World Cup games in the U.S.

Iran earned one of eight guaranteed World Cup places allocated to the Asian Football Confederation. Should Iran pull out, in theory the replacement should be the United Arab Emirates, the highest-ranked Asian team that didn’t qualify.

One possible element of uncertainty is the language of the World Cup tournament rules.

FIFA wrote that it can decide to replace a withdrawn team “with another association,” though without specifying the replacement must come from the same continental confederation.

___

Dunbar reported from Geneva and Kim reported from Washington.