Sports

FIFA Delivers Brutal Verdict On Calls For Nigeria Or Italy To Replace Iran At 2026 World Cup

Published

2 months ago

April 24, 2026

FIFA has confirmed Iran will not be replaced at the 2026 World Cup despite political pressure asking for their replacement.

Italy and Nigeria have been rumoured as possible replacements of Iran decides against participating at the World Cup.

FIFA insists football decisions must stay sporting despite strong calls to swap teams before the tournament starts in June.

The debate gained traction after US envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested that Italy should be drafted into the tournament in place of Iran due to ongoing geopolitical tensions.

However, FIFA has made it clear that such a move is not under consideration, BBC Sport reports.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino reinforced the governing body’s stance, stating unequivocally that Iran will participate as planned.

Infantino’s comments underline FIFA’s long-standing principle that qualification must be earned on the pitch, not influenced by political circumstances.

Both Italy and Nigeria were drawn into the conversation due to their football pedigree, but neither nation secured qualification for the 2026 tournament.

Italy, a four-time World Cup winner, suffered another major setback after failing to qualify for a third consecutive edition following a playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s hopes were dashed after losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African playoffs. Despite the

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) lodging a petition over alleged ineligible players, the result stood, and DR Congo progressed to claim the World Cup ticket.

According to Sky News, the idea of replacing Iran with either nation has been widely criticised, even within Italy.

Senior officials, including government and sports authorities, have dismissed the proposal, insisting that World Cup participation must be based on merit rather than external influence.

The controversy stems from uncertainty surrounding Iran’s participation due to geopolitical tensions involving the United States and Israel. However, FIFA has consistently maintained that sport should remain separate from politics. Iran has already qualified for the World Cup and is scheduled to play matches in the United States during the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Despite earlier concerns, Iranian officials have confirmed their readiness to participate. FIFA regulations do allow for replacement in exceptional circumstances, but the governing body retains full discretion over such decisions. In this case, there is no indication that

Iran will withdraw or be excluded, making any replacement scenario highly unlikely. Infantino emphasised that Iran has earned its place and deserves to compete, reinforcing FIFA’s commitment to fairness and sporting integrity.

In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria may have to come to terms with missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to UK-based Nigerian journalist Samuel Omaenikun.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is currently awaiting a ruling from FIFA after submitting a petition alleging that the DR Congo national football team fielded ineligible players in the decisive African playoff match.

Sports

OFFICIAL: Tunisia Appoint Renard New Head Coach

Published

16 hours ago

June 16, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

Tunisia have acted swiftly to revive their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, appointing experienced French tactician Hervé Renard as head coach following the departure of Sabri Lamouchi, reports Completesports.com.

The change comes after the Carthage Eagles suffered an opening-match defeat at the tournament, prompting the federation to make an early managerial switch.

The North Africans are rooted to the bottom of their group after the 5-1 defeat to Sweden, and facing an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages.

Tunisia Turn To Renard For Redemption

Renard is expected to arrive in Monterrey on Tuesday and will take charge of the team’s training session later in the day.

The 57-year-old’s first assignment will be a crucial Group F encounter against Japan on 20 June in Monterrey.

The Carthage Eagles will face Netherlands in their last group game.

Experience Will Be Vital

Renard is no stranger to African football. He remains the only coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations with two different nations, guiding Zambia to a remarkable triumph in 2012 before leading Côte d’Ivoire to continental glory three years later.

His coaching résumé also includes spells with Morocco and Saudi Arabia, as well as appearances at the FIFA World Cup.

Renard’s most recent World Cup experience came with Saudi Arabia at Qatar 2022, where his side produced one of the biggest shocks in tournament history by defeating eventual champions Argentina in the group stage.

The Tunisian federation believes that experience could prove invaluable as the Eagles attempt to rescue their campaign against strong opposition in Group F.

Although Renard’s initial appointment runs until the end of the current World Cup, reports indicate that discussions are already in place regarding a possible extension should both parties wish to continue beyond the tournament.

Sports

Former Southampton Player Dies In Nigeria

Published

1 week ago

June 9, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

21-year-old Nigerian forward Victor Akaniyene Udoh, who left English Championship side Southampton for Czech second-division side SK Dynamo Ceske Budejovice, has sadly passed away.

Former Royal Antwerp and Southampton U21 forward Victor Udoh reportedly died in Abuja at the age of 21.

Reports indicate that he went out with friends in Abuja last night and was found lifeless this morning.

Suspected food or drink poisoning is being mentioned, though this has not been officially confirmed.

The 21-year-old winger was in Nigeria on holiday at the time of the incident.

Sports

Messi Set To Return For Argentina Against Iceland

Published

1 week ago

June 9, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

Lionel Messi is set to return to action for Argentina in their final warm-up match ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, with head coach Lionel Scaloni confirming that the captain will feature against Iceland on Tuesday in Auburn, Alabama.

Messi missed Argentina’s 2-0 friendly victory over Honduras on June 6 despite taking part in the pre-match warm-up, as he continued his recovery from muscle fatigue in his left hamstring. The Inter Miami forward joined the national team camp after experiencing discomfort during his club’s MLS fixture against the Philadelphia Union before the league paused for the World Cup.

“Messi will play, I just don’t know how many minutes,” Scaloni said in a news conference, according to ESPN. “I still need to talk to him in today’s training, and we will see how many minutes he plays to avoid any type of risks. We will decide, but in principle he will play.”

The Argentina coach added that the squad’s minutes would be monitored closely as the reigning world champions prepare for their title defence.

“We’re going to distribute the minutes of the players who will play tomorrow to try to avoid any mishaps,” said the World Cup-winning coach.
Scaloni also confirmed that Nico Paz, Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are available for selection after recovering from injuries that had forced them to train separately in recent days.

Meanwhile, the coach provided positive updates on Julian Alvarez and Leandro Paredes, both of whom have been dealing with fitness concerns. “Julian Alvarez is doing well; he has an ankle discomfort that’s going away,” Scaloni said. “Lea Paredes is also coming along well; in the next few days, he’ll be able to rejoin the group.”

Argentina are still weighing options to replace defender Leonardo Balerdi, who was ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a calf injury and leaving the squad last week.

“We’ll have a clearer picture tomorrow after the match regarding his replacement,” Scaloni said. “We can cover Balerdi’s position, but we are also looking at other options depending on how the rest of the injured players progress.”

Argentina open their World Cup campaign against Algeria on June 16 before facing Austria and Jordan in Group J.