A high-ranking envoy to President Donald Trump has formally requested that FIFA replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup hosted by the United States, according to a report from the Financial Times.

The proposal is viewed as an attempt to fix the strained relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following disagreements regarding the American president's criticisms of Pope Leo XIV and the ongoing conflict in Iran.

Paolo Zampolli, a U.S. special envoy and Italian native, confirmed to the Financial Times that he suggested the swap to both Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Zampolli noted that Italy, as a four-time champion, possesses the historical prestige to justify such a move and expressed a personal desire to see the Italian national team play in a U.S.-hosted tournament. As of Wednesday, the White House, FIFA, and the relevant football federations in Italy and Asia had not provided comments on the matter.

Italy failed to qualify for the tournament for the third consecutive time following a playoff loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March. Meanwhile, Iran successfully qualified but recently requested that its group stage matches be relocated from the United States to Mexico due to the war.

While FIFA President Gianni Infantino previously insisted that the schedule remain unchanged, the Iranian football federation has indicated it will follow the directives of government authorities regarding participation.

Under FIFA regulations, the organization has the discretion to select any nation to fill a vacancy if a team withdraws. While the Asian Football Confederation is expected to push for an Asian replacement like the United Arab Emirates, Italy remains a prominent candidate in these discussions due to its footballing history. The World Cup is set to begin on June 11, with the match involving Iran and New Zealand currently scheduled for June 15 in Los Angeles.