Italy’s repechage to the World Cup, Pastor gives numbers and ventures a prediction

Iran qualified on the field and with full merit, but the geopolitical framework accompanying the 2026 World Cup could still open unexpected scenarios. This is the reading of Giuseppe Pastore, who during a speech during a broadcast of Chronache di Spogliatoio commented on the case related to the possible participation of the Iranian national team in the next World Cup, organized by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

According to Pastore, the sports verdict is not in question. “Iran qualified with every right and deserves to go, and 99 percent for me they will go,” the journalist notes, pointing out that the Asian selection has won on the field the right to participate in the rainbow review.

The crux, however, would be related to the political and diplomatic environment surrounding the event. “The United States is not so quiet about hosting Iran, Trump’s words are highly regarded by Fifa, and the idea of repechasing Italy exists despite denials,” Pastore says, opening up to a scenario that, while far off at the moment, would not be entirely to be ruled out.

The hypothesis, of course, remains tied to a number of conditions that are still theoretical today. In the event of Iran’s exclusion, the most straightforward solution would lead to the repechage of the first Asian outcast, namely the United Arab Emirates. But according to Pastore, Italy could also try to carve out a space for itself in an affair that would go far beyond mere sporting criteria.

“Sports is full of repechages, it’s not a disgrace, it’s assumed that the first non-qualified from Asia, namely the Emirates, could go there, but Italy could leverage blazon and friendship that are part of sport,” he concludes.