FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, has the final say on whether Italy will replace Iran in the World Cup. The guidelines are clear: the decision is solely at the Federation's discretion. And FIFA is unlikely to accept the idea put forward by Donald Trump's top adviser, Paolo Zampolli. In an interview with the Financial Times, Zampolli proposed replacing Iran with Italy, noting the country's national team prestige. FIFA, Trump, and the Italian government, to say nothing of Iranian institutions, were all unhappy with this concept. The subject was brought up directly with Trump in the Oval Office: "Interesting question, but I'm not thinking much about it", the US president said. Undersecretary of State Marco Rubio went on to say: "No one ever claimed Iranian athletes were unable to come to the United States. We may have issues with certain accompanying personnel, but not with the athletes. If they do not participate, it is their decision. The rest is speculation". On the Iranian front, however, the situation appears to be moving toward World Cup participation. This represents a shift from a few weeks ago, when Tehran urged that the matches be held either in Mexico or Canada, the other tournament hosts. FIFA rejected this proposal. Fatemeh Mohejerani, an Iranian government official, stated that "the Ministry of Youth and Sports has announced, on the minister's order, the full preparation of our national soccer team for participation in the 2026 World Cup in the United States. The necessary steps have been made to ensure that these players can proudly and successfully participate in the World Cup".