The Italy national football team’s hopes of returning to the FIFA World Cup have taken an unexpected turn, with reports suggesting a potential backdoor could open ahead of the 2026 tournament.

FIFA is internally assessing contingency plans amid uncertainty over the Iran national football team’s participation, according to multiple reports, as geopolitical tensions cast a shadow over their participation in the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Italy had earlier seen their qualification dreams dashed Following a painful playoff defeat to the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team, their absence from the World Cup extended to the third consecutive edition. got a shock too Resignation of head coach Gennaro GattusoFurther underlines the scale of the crisis.

However, with uncertainty over Iran’s place, discussions have reportedly begun on a possible extraordinary playoff scenario that could involve teams that missed qualification.

Despite speculation, Gianni Infantino has publicly stated that there are no alternative plans at this stage, even though negotiations continue behind the scenes.

“We want Iran to play in the World Cup. There is no plan B, C or D – there is only plan A. Iran represents its people – both those living in Iran and those living abroad,” Infantino said recently.

At the same time, political concerns have also added to the uncertainty, with Donald Trump warning about the safety and appropriateness of Iran’s involvement given already ongoing tensions.

Will Iran play FIFA World Cup 2026?

As things stand, Iran are still expected to feature in the tournament and have already been drawn in Group G along with the Belgium national football team, Egypt national football team and New Zealand national football team.

However, the situation remains unstable. Although a temporary ceasefire is reportedly in place, there is no long-term clarity on whether conditions will remain stable enough for teams to travel and compete without complications.

FIFA, at least publicly, has been supportive of Iran’s participation. But the mere fact that contingent discussions are being reported suggests that governing bodies are quietly preparing for all possibilities.

How can Italy play World Cup 2026?

For now, Italy’s path is entirely hypothetical and dependent on developments outside their control. Any possibility of a return depends entirely on Iran’s withdrawal, which FIFA has publicly denied but has been quietly preparing for behind the scenes.

Even if this happens, the path is not straight. FIFA would need to approve an extraordinary process, which is likely to involve multiple associations, rather than handing out replacement places directly.

Possible scenarios being discussed:

• A one-off intercontinental playoff involving European and Asian teams
• Italy likely to be among top European non-qualifiers due to ranking
• Two European and two Asian teams can participate in a mini tournament
• Winners can fill the void if Iran withdraws
• Asian teams like UAE or Iraq are also in the race for replacement

“This is a continental matter. It actually seems very difficult to me that there could be an issue, unless an issue arises within Europe,” said Andrea Abodi.

“I don’t think so, and I wouldn’t expect it to,” he said, playing down expectations that Italy would benefit from the situation.

Despite the exploration of contingency plans, the chances remain slim. For Italy, it is less about planning a comeback and more about maintaining a hazy, unpredictable prospect.

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