Italy’s repechage to World Cup, a potentially decisive breakthrough from Turkey

The affair related to Italy’s possible repechage to the 2026 World Cup registers a turning point that could prove decisive. Indeed, concrete signs are arriving from Turkey about Iran’s willingness to continue on the path to the rainbow event, despite security uncertainties and diplomatic tensions with the United States.

According to an Iranian Federation official told Reuters, players and delegates from Team Melli have shown up at the U.S. Embassy in Canada’s consular offices in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, to apply for visas essential for entry from the two countries. Iran is expected to play right in the U.S. all three group stage matches, against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, and could move to Canada, in Vancouver, in case of passing the round as third (it will depend on the group combinations).

Iran’s move represents a strong sports-political signal: the will to participate in the World Cup is there, and the federation is taking all the necessary steps to ensure it. For Italy, which remains the first national team excluded in the FIFA rankings among those who did not qualify, this development further reduces the chances of a direct repechage, while the hypothesis of the extraordinary mini-tournament, now three weeks away from the start of the rainbow review, now seems a highly unlikely scenario.

FIFA, according to leaks in recent weeks, was supposed to make a decision by the end of April or early May to ensure the regularity of the 48-team tournament. But developments in the Iranian situation have prompted the organization to stall, monitoring diplomatic and logistical developments.

Despite international tensions and doubts about the safety of the Iranian delegation in the United States, the Tehran Federation is proceeding as planned toward the World Cup. The visa application, the gathering in Turkey, the scheduled friendly with Gambia (scheduled for May 29) and the suspension of the national championship to prepare the team are all pointing in the same direction. However, the scenario remains difficult to predict and the repechage hypothesis cannot yet be put to rest.