Italy's chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been revived after FIFA rejected Iran's request to relocate their group stage matches amid the ongoing conflict with US-Israel.
Iran's matches are scheduled to take place in the US, and their request to move them to Mexico was denied by FIFA.
Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoff final.
FIFA is preparing for a scenario where Iran withdraws from the tournament, planning a continental playoff involving teams from Asia and Europe that didn't qualify for the tournament.
Iran's Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali slammed US President Donald Trump's statements, saying the possibility of Iran participating in the World Cup matches in the US is low without security guarantees.
