Trump envoy admits he’s lobbying FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at this summer’s World Cup

Iran’s men’s national team is set to play all three of its initial group games on American soil, beginning with a clash against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, followed by matches against Belgium and Egypt.

Should Iran and the U.S. team finish second in their respective groups and reach the last 32, they could end up playing each other in Dallas, Texas, a fixture that would inevitably be framed as a proxy for the conflict, akin to the fierce clashes that took place at the height of the Cold War between the U.S. and Russian ice hockey teams.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino presenting President Donald Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize last year (Getty)

Trump has so far given mixed signals on Iran’s participation, stating that on one hand they were “welcome” but on the other it would be “inappropriate” for them to take part “for their life and safety.”

Iran responded to his latter comments by saying it was the U.S. that should be “excluded,” not them.

Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. had indefinitely extended a ceasefire with Iran while efforts to agree a lasting peace continue but has maintained its blockade on the country’s ports.

Infantino said in an interview with CNBC last week that Iran would compete at the World Cup “for sure,” after attending a friendly against Turkey last month.

“We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful [one],” the official said.

Distraught Italian players react to being knocked out of World Cup qualifying by Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP)

“That would definitely help. But Iran has to come if they are to represent their people. They have qualified… They really want to play, and they should play.”

According to The Athletic, FIFA’s regulations leave the governing body “sole discretion” to decide what action to take if a side withdraws. “FIFA may decide to replace the participating member association in question with another association,” its rules state.

Italy missed out on qualification after another penalty shoot-out defeat, this time to Bosnia-Herzegovina, in a play-off last month, an outcome regarded as nothing less than a national crisis at home.

The result led to the immediate resignations of coach Gennaro Gattuso, delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon, and Italian football federation president Gabriele Gravina.