Italy Refused to Replace Iran's National Team at the FIFA World Cup

The Italian national team has once again been left out of the World Cup, losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a penalty shootout in the qualifying playoff final. This marks the third consecutive time one of Europe's most decorated teams has missed the world championship.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to foreign press, despite the failure in qualifying, Italy reacted sharply to the initiative from the United States to replace Iran at the 2026 World Cup with the Italian national team.

Sports Minister Andrea Abodi stated that such proposals go against the principles of fair play: "This is inappropriate. World Cup spots are earned on the field."

The head of the National Olympic Committee, Luciano Buonfiglio, also expressed his displeasure, emphasizing that participation in the tournament should be earned, not obtained through administrative means. He was supported by Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, who admitted that such a turn of events would make him feel ashamed.

Earlier, US special envoy Paolo Zampolli reported that he had approached FIFA with a proposal to replace Iran with Italy at the upcoming tournament, despite the Azzurri's failure in qualifying.

Against this backdrop, Iran's participation in the World Cup has been called into question due to the escalation of a military conflict that began on February 28.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed hope for the stabilization of the situation and emphasized that the Iranian national team has earned its place: according to international experts, the team demonstrates a worthy level and should take part in the tournament. He added that sport, as far as possible, should remain outside of politics.