A close associate of former United States president Donald Trump has urged FIFA to remove Iran from the upcoming World Cup and hand their place to four-time champions Italy, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Paolo Zampolli, a longtime Trump ally and current special envoy, said he has personally lobbied both Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino to engineer the switch. Zampolli, an Italian-born American, framed the proposal as both a diplomatic gesture and a sporting correction.

He argued that including Italy, despite their failure to qualify, would be a fitting move for a tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Italy, one of football’s traditional powerhouses, crashed out in a dramatic playoff, losing on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina and missing a third consecutive World Cup.

Zampolli told the Financial Times that seeing the Azzurri on North American soil would be “a dream” and insisted their four world titles give them the pedigree to justify an extraordinary invitation. His intervention comes amid strained relations between Trump and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, who reportedly clashed with the former president after she criticised his attacks on Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war.

Iran’s place at the tournament has been clouded by the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel. The Iranian football federation has previously acknowledged talks with FIFA about moving its group matches from venues in the US to stadiums in Mexico, citing security and political concerns.

FIFA, however, has publicly maintained that Iran’s qualification and fixtures remain intact. Infantino, speaking during a visit to Turkey for Iran’s friendly against Costa Rica, insisted that Iran will participate and will play “where they are supposed to be, according to the draw,” signalling resistance to any late reshuffle of the 48-team field.

Zampolli, a businessman and former modelling agent who has long moved in Trump’s inner circle and claims to have introduced him to his wife Melania, appears to be using his access to push a highly unusual solution. While FIFA has occasionally intervened in extreme political or disciplinary cases, expelling a qualified team to admit a non-qualifier would be unprecedented in modern World Cup history.