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Sensational turnaround after playoff heartbreak: Could Italy still qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

Rumours that four-time champions Italy, who were knocked out in the play-offs, could replace the qualified team Iran at the World Cup have gained fresh momentum.

According to the Financial Times, a special envoy of US President Donald Trump has proposed replacing Iran with Italy in the wake of the war in the Middle East. FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently reiterated that Iran would “definitely” take part in the finals in the US, Mexico and Canada (19 June to 11 July).

“I can confirm that I suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy should replace Iran at the World Cup,” said Paolo Zampolli, a close confidant of Trump with Italian roots, in remarks reported by the Financial Times.
He described the idea as “a dream”. According to the report, the proposal also carries a political motive: to mend the recently strained relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who clashed after Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV.
Italy were eliminated by Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-offs, while Iran are currently slotted into Group G, with two fixtures in Los Angeles and one in Seattle; their base would be in Tucson, Arizona.

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