U.S. special envoy Paolo Zampolli has put forth a proposal to FIFA suggesting that Italy replace Iran in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to commence on June 11. Zampolli, an Italian native, expressed his desire to see the Italian national team, known as the Azzurri, compete in the tournament hosted by the United States. Italy has previously won the World Cup four times but failed to qualify for this year's event after a disappointing playoff loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to FIFA regulations, if Iran were to withdraw, they could be replaced by the highest-ranked non-qualified team from their confederation, which could be the United Arab Emirates. However, FIFA retains the discretion to choose an alternate team. Iran has publicly affirmed its readiness to participate in the tournament, despite earlier calls for matches to be relocated from the U.S. to Mexico.