Politics vs Football: Iran Faces Pressure to Withdraw from World Cup 2026

The United States has proposed replacing Iran's national team with Italy's at the FIFA World Cup, which will take place this summer, including on US territory. Iran Pressured to Withdraw from World Cup 2026 in US US Special Envoy for Global Partnerships Paolo Zampolli made this proposal to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, The Financial Times reports. Zampolli justified the idea by pointing to Italy's four World Cup titles, arguing that this record warrants granting the team a place in the tournament. According to The Financial Times, the proposal is also an attempt to restore ties between President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after Trump's criticism of the Pope. However, Italy's position appears to be of little real importance to Trump. In reality, a different objective is evident — to humiliate Iran by failing to guarantee the team's security and forcing it to withdraw from the tournament voluntarily. In this regard, significant pressure is currently being exerted on Tehran, including through Zampolli's statement.