Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi has firmly rejected the idea of the national football team, the Azzurri, replacing Iran at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This proposal was put forward by Paolo Zampolli, a special envoy to former US President Donald Trump, following Italy's unexpected defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoffs. Abodi stated that qualification should be based on performance on the pitch, emphasizing that it is both inappropriate and impossible for Italy to be fast-tracked into the tournament. While Iran's participation is uncertain due to geopolitical tensions with the US and Israel, they have not requested to withdraw from the World Cup. The FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, confirmed that Iran would be present at the tournament. Should Iran's status change, the United Arab Emirates, the next highest-ranked Asian team not qualified, is viewed as a more logical replacement than Italy. This situation comes as Italy grapples with its third consecutive absence from the World Cup, leading to significant changes in its football leadership, including the resignation of the football federation president, Gabriele Gravina, and the departure of national team manager Gennaro Gattuso. Additionally, Italy is under pressure to prepare stadiums for co-hosting Euro 2032 with Turkey.