Italy repechage to World Cup: Iran absent, two more matches canceled. C'is a new problem
Iran’s participation in the World Cup still hangs in the balance, despite assurances from FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the White House and the Tehran government itself. Representatives of Iran’s soccer federation were not present Tuesday at the largest official meeting of Asian soccer leaders ahead of this summer’s World Cup. ESPN reports.
The meeting was held Tuesday in Vancouver, Canada, in the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The absence of Iranian emissaries is fueling fears about Iran’s participation in the World Cup, especially with regard to visa issues, which reportedly prevented Iranian representatives from attending the AFC congress.
Up to this point, FIFA has always said that Iran will abide by the World Cup match schedule established last December, before the U.S. and Israel launched the Feb. 28 military strikes, and has refused to consider proposals to move the team’s matches to Mexico.
Iran is also struggling with preparations for the World Cup. After Puerto Rico and Panama, two other national teams have backed out and canceled test matches with the Tehran team. As reported by Persianfootball, North Macedonia and Angola, which were supposed to play against Ghalenoei’s lineup in the pre-retreat in Turkey, have reportedly canceled their engagements.
Confirming the chaotic picture of Iran’s preparations were the very words of technical commissioner Amir Ghalenoei, who publicly admitted uncertainty about the opponents: “I prefer not to name names right now. I had mentioned two teams yesterday, but when I got to the hotel I found out that those matches had been canceled.” Nevertheless, the coach did not give up showing determination ahead of the tournament: “There is no reason not to participate in the World Cup. God willing, we will do it.” The current plan is for the team to remain in Tehran until May 6 to play two domestic matches, and then move to Turkey and then, if possible, to the United States.
On the diplomatic front, the main issue remains that raised by U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, who clarified how the problem is not with the athletes themselves: “It would be some of the other people Iran would like to bring, some of whom have ties to the Revolutionary Guards. What they can’t do is bring a group of Revolutionary Guards terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers.”
Iran is placed in Group G along with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand, and is scheduled to play two matches in Los Angeles — against New Zealand on June 16 and against Belgium on June 21 — before closing out the round with Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Against this backdrop, the possibility of Italy’s repechage in place of Iran, strongly supported by Paolo Zampolli, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, has become increasingly insistent. Zampolli said there would be a “50 percent chance, maybe even more” that Italy would be repechaged, adding that he would meet with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reiterate to him that “a World Cup without Italy makes no sense.”
