Italy will not miraculously invite itself to the 2026 World Cup (from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, the United States and Mexico) and the Nazionale will not participate in any intercontinental play-off just before the tournament in North America… The proposal from an advisor to Donald Trump, the Italian-American Paolo Zampolli, special representative of the United States for global partnerships, to Gianni Infantino will not change anything.
Gianluigi Donnarumma and his teammates will be watching the international competition on TV after being beaten by Bosnia on March 30 in the European play-off final after a penalty shootout (1-1, tab: 4-1). The Bosnians complete Group B by facing Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.
Fifa President Gianni Infantino has indeed confirmed the presence of the Iranian team at the World Cup. “To begin with, I want to confirm unambiguously that Iran will obviously participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And of course Iran will play in the United States”launched the Swiss leader during a Fifa congress in Vancouver. The leaders of the Iranian federation were also unable to enter Canada, their request for entry into the territory being refused…
Italy will not benefit from a withdrawal from Iran
Since the start of the war in the Middle East on February 28, with American and Israeli bombings on Iran in particular and Iranian responses, the withdrawal of Team Melli has been discussed. The Iranian football federation quickly ruled out a boycott and US President Donald Trump invited the team to visit the United States. Mehdi Taremi and his teammates will face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt.
In recent weeks, a draft of Italy, the best team in the FIFA rankings not qualified for the World Cup, was imagined by some in the event of Iran’s withdrawal, regardless of whether logic would give place to another Asian team. A four-team play-off was also mentioned, with two European selections including Italy and two teams from the Asian continent in order to determine Iran’s replacement.
