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Trump's envoy Paolo Zampolli expresses distrust in Iran but believes Italy still has a chance to participate in the World Cup as time runs out for the tournament.
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Trumpâs Envoy: âDifficult to trustâ Iran but time ârunning outâ for Italy at the World Cup
Donald Trumpâs Envoy Paolo Zampolli insists itâs âvery difficult to trust Iraniansâ, suggesting that Italy still have a chance to replace their national team at the World Cup, even though âtime is running out.â
Trumpâs Special Envoy Zampolli insists Italy still has a slight chance of playing at the World Cup, as he fears the Iran national team might not show up for the tournament that kicks off on June 11.
Zampolli has already released several interviews about the matter, revealing that he had discussed Italyâs possible involvement in the competition should Iran fail to participate.
âI contacted Infantino with Trumpâs support because FIFA regulations are lacking regarding the replacement of a team that does not show up,â Zampolli said in his latest interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
âIf Iran were not to participate in the World Cup, Italy would have the right to participate, having won the World Cup four times and being the highest-ranked of the excluded teams.
âThe key issue is understanding what the Iranians have in mind, as they are very difficult to trust,â Zampolli continued.
âThey now say the team will come, but what do we do about those following them, which is not very welcome in the United States, given what is happening? The game is still open.â
Paolo Zampolli stated that it is 'very difficult to trust Iranians,' implying concerns about their reliability.
Zampolli believes Italy still has a slight chance to participate if Iran fails to show up for the tournament.
The World Cup is set to kick off on June 11.
Zampolli has discussed Italy's potential involvement in several interviews, indicating hope for their participation.

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There have been mixed reactions to the possibility of Italy replacing Iran at the World Cup, a scenario that remains quite unlikely, given that FIFA President Infantino has recently confirmed that the Iranians will regularly participate in the tournament.
ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA â MARCH 31: Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina competes for the ball with Marco Palestra of Italy during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)
Azzurri World Cup winner Fulvio Collovati said earlier this week that seeing Italy play at the World Cup after failing to qualify for the third time in a row would be âhumiliatingâ, and many fans in the country feel the same.
âI can understand that, but how do they think Italians would react if the national team played in the World Cup?â asked Zampolli.
âWould they cheer as only we know how, or would they not watch the matches because we didnât qualify on the field?â
When asked whether heâll try to put more pressure on Infantino in the coming days, Trumpâs Envoy replied: âI donât think itâs necessary, even though time is running out. Last year, I alraedy convince him to hold the World Cup draw at the Trump-Kennedy Centre.â
BERLIN â JULY 9: General view of the World Cup trophy prior to the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Final match between Italy and France at the Olympic Stadium on July 9, 2006 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Lastly, Zampolli revealed being an Inter fan who even watched many matches at the Stadio Meazza before moving to the USA.
âWhen I was young, I used to go to the Stadium in Curva Nord with the Boys,â he said.
âIâm happy Inter won the league title, but Iâm not a die-hard fan. I experience sport as a means of uniting people and creating business opportunities.â