Italy’s government has ruled out any suggestion the country could replace Iran at this summer’s World Cup due to the war in the Middle East. 

Italian sports minister Andrea Abodi said it would not be appropriate for the “Azzurri” to replace the Iranian team, telling Sky News that “qualification is done on the pitch”.

His comments came less than 24 hours after a close ally of US president Donald Trump, Paolo Zampolli, revealed that he had asked FIFA to replace the Iranians with the four-time World Cup winners.

“Italy’s possible re-qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Paolo Zampolli, has reportedly proposed to FIFA, is firstly not possible, and secondly, not appropriate. I don’t know what comes first.

Zampolli, a US special envoy, told the Financial Times he had floated the idea of four-time winners Italy taking part in the tournament despite being knocked out by Bosnia Herzegovina in a World Cup play-off last month.

Italy last won the World Cup in 2006, but have now failed to qualify for football’s biggest tournament since Brazil in 2014.

The president of the Iranian Football Association has insisted that Iran will play in the US.

They are due to play all three of their group matches in the US, starting with a clash against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June.

Should Iran and the US finish second in their respective groups, they are on course to meet in the last 32 in Dallas.

The US and Iran have been at war since February when Washington and Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran.