An emissary of Donald Trump asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy at the next World Cup this summer, he told the Financial Times, while the war casts doubt on Iranian participation.
Paolo Zampolli confirmed to the “FT” that he had suggested the improbable scenario to the American president and to Gianni Infantino, president of Fifa.
“I am Italian by birth and it would be a dream to see Squadra Azzurra in a tournament organized in the United States. With four titles, it has the pedigree to justify its inclusion,” he declared, after Italy’s third consecutive elimination in the play-offs of the competition.
In recent weeks, Mr. Infantino has assured that Iran will compete in the World Cup, organized jointly in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
“Iran will be at the World Cup” and will play its first round matches on United States soil as planned, he told AFP at the end of March on the sidelines of an Iranian friendly match near Antalya (Turkey).
“Iran must come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” he said again in mid-April during an economic conference organized by the CNBC television channel in Washington, while hoping for a “peaceful situation” in the Middle East next summer.
The Iranian selection must play its three Group G matches in Los Angeles against New Zealand (June 16) and Belgium (June 21) then in Seattle against Egypt (June 27). Its base camp is believed to be located in Tucson, Arizona.
At the start of the conflict in the Middle East triggered by the United States and Israel on February 28, Iran spoke of a “boycott” of the competition, before asking Fifa to move its matches from the United States to Mexico.
On this point, “the matches will be where they should be, according to the draw,” declared to AFP the boss of world football, whose explicit collusion with Donald Trump has sparked some criticism.
FIFA’s regulations give the organization the power to decide alone what action to take if a team, in this case Iran, were to withdraw.
This “proposal” also comes as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of Trump’s closest allies on the Old Continent, recently distanced herself from Israel and the United States, drawing the wrath of President Donald Trump.
