Trump Representative Proposes Excluding Iran from the World Cup

Paolo Zampolli, a special representative of U.S. President Donald Trump, has put forward an unexpected and controversial proposal regarding the 2026 World Cup.

This was reported by Zamin.uz. His initiative is causing widespread discussion in international football circles and political spheres.

In his statement, Zampolli announced that he suggested disqualifying the Iran national team from the competition and replacing them with the Italian national team. The special representative noted that he has officially reached out to both U.S.

President Donald Trump and the head of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, regarding this matter. Paolo Zampolli did not hide the fact that he is Italian and dearly wishes to see his home country's team at the prestigious tournament held across the ocean.

In his view, the Italian national team, a four-time world champion, is fully deserving of participating in such a major sporting event. This information has been confirmed by influential global publications, including The Guardian and Financial Times.

According to One.uz, under the current official plan, the Iran national team is placed in Group G. In this group, Iranian players are scheduled to face the national teams of Belgium, New Zealand, and Egypt.

The group composition has already been officially finalized. The Italian national team, however, unexpectedly lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina during the qualifying stage and failed to secure a spot in the World Cup.

Therefore, according to current regulations, the team does not have the right to participate in the tournament. Paolo Zampolli's proposal could spark serious debates regarding international sports law and standards of fairness.

Now, the football world and FIFA leadership are waiting to see how they will respond to this extraordinary suggestion.