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Overview
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the U.S. is not trying to bar Iran from the tournament, adding that players are welcome but some delegation members with links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard may be denied visas.
- Paolo Zampolli, a U.S. administration envoy, confirmed to the Financial Times that he proposed to President Donald Trump and FIFA’s Gianni Infantino that Italy take Iran’s place, a move the FT reported was also aimed at easing tensions with Italy’s leader.
- FIFA sources and Infantino said Iran will compete as planned, with the FIFA president repeating that the team qualified on merit and that sport should stay out of politics.
- Italy’s sports leadership rejected any invitation to return, with Minister Andrea Abodi and CONI chief Luciano Buonfiglio saying World Cup places must be earned on the field.
- Iran says its team is preparing to play in the United States after FIFA denied a request to shift group matches to Mexico, and the team is scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles before playing Egypt in Seattle.