Italy’s repechage to the World Cup, the attempt of desperation
The Gazzetta dello Sport has its say on what many have called the desperation attempt. That is, if it was really operated at all. “Pablito Rossi, 6 goals to make us kings in ’82. Totò Schillaci, the fiery eyes of the Magic Nights. Roby Baggio pulled us off the plane at USA ’94. The men of providence in our World Cup. Now we have to cling to such a Paolo Zampolli who is agitating between Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino, Mr. Fifa, to get Iran off the U.S.-Mexico-Canada ’26 bandwagon and get Italy on it,” it reads among other things.
And again… “But who is he? Milanese, son of toy traders, dealt in real Boeings for millions of dollars. A distant relative of Paul VI, with no vocation for sainthood, Zampolli has been in business with Jeffrey Epstein and founded a modeling agency. Introducing Melanie to Trump has thrown power wide open to him. For his friend Donald he weaves relationships and mediations. A trequartista between the lines, a handler. You name it.”
The affair originated from a Financial Times indiscretion that Zampolli’s initiative also represented an “effort to repair ties between Trump and Premier Giorgia Meloni” after the U.S. president’s recent attacks on the pope. Zampolli himself personally confirmed the pressure on the international federation: “I confirm that I suggested to Trump and Infantino to replace Iran with Italy at the World Cup. I am Italian, it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at the World Cup in the United States. With four titles, the Azzurri have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”
It is, moreover, not the first time that such a proposal has emerged: back in 2022, at the World Cup in Qatar, the U.S. ambassador wrote to Infantino asking for Iran’s exclusion and Italy’s inclusion. The Iranian national team’s participation hangs in the balance because of the conflict with the United States and Israel: Tehran had asked FIFA to move its group matches to Mexico, but received a clear refusal from the Federation.
In Italy, however, the proposal has caused more embarrassment than enthusiasm. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti was blunt: “Today I read that Trump’s envoy wants to re-seat Italy in the World Cup: I find this shameful. I would be ashamed.” On the same wavelength is CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio: “First of all, I don’t think it’s possible. Second, I would feel offended: participation in a World Cup should be deserved.” Journalist Enrico Mentana also entrusted his disappointment to social media, speaking of a prospect that is “sleazy and unfair, and offensive to our sports history.”
On the other hand, the Iranian Embassy in Italy responded firmly through a post on X: “Football belongs to the people, not to politicians. Italy won soccer greatness on the field, not thanks to political rents. The attempt to exclude Iran from the World Cup only shows the ‘moral bankruptcy’ of the United States, which fears even the presence of eleven young Iranians on the field of play.” Iran, after all, duly qualified by finishing first in its group in the Asian Zone.
FIFA is expected to lift its reservation by late April or early May. Among the hypotheses on the table is a mini-qualifying tournament that would involve Italy and Denmark among the Europeans, as well as Asian, African and South American representatives, to fill the one spot that may remain vacant. In pole position for a direct replacement for Iran, however, would remain an Asian selection, with the United Arab Emirates in the front row.
