According to a report in the Financial Times, an envoy of Donald Trump asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup.
As the same source reports, the proposal, which Paolo Zamboli is said to have put forward, appears to be an attempt to restore relations between the American president and the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.
The relations between the two leaders had been strained after Trump's attacks on the Pope over the latter's statements about the war in Iran.
Zamboli confirmed his proposal to Trump and FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, stressing that the presence of the Azzurri in a tournament hosted in the USA would be ideal at a time when the relationship between the two countries is in crisis.
We remind you that Italy was eliminated in the qualifiers of the tournament after a shock defeat on penalties by Bosnia, missing the World Cup for the third consecutive time.
For its part, however, Iran made it clear that it is preparing for the tournament and intends to participate normally.