World Cup 2026: An Exceptional Playoff Could Bring Italy Back to the Tournament

Football fans are turning their attention to the inner workings of the International Federation of Association Football, which is studying the possibility of introducing an exceptional global playoff before the start of the 2026 World Cup, should Iran's withdrawal from the upcoming finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico be confirmed.

This potential move comes amid a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the participation of the Iranian national team, for political reasons tied chiefly to relations with the United States of America, which will host part of the tournament's matches.

According to media reports, the proposal under consideration calls for staging an emergency playoff bringing together national teams from the European and Asian continents in order to make up for any possible absence, with the option of giving a chance to teams that were unable to qualify through the qualifiers.

Italy's national team stands out as one of the leading candidates to benefit from this scenario, despite its failure to reach the World Cup for the third time in a row, following its absence from the 2018 and 2022 editions, which dealt a major shock to fans of the "Azzurri".

The Italian national team had been knocked out of the European playoff after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties, extending its run of disappointing results in the World Cup qualifiers.

If this proposal is adopted, the selection of the teams taking part in the playoff could be based on the FIFA world ranking and footballing history, which would give Italy a relative advantage in returning to the international stage.

For his part, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has issued no official confirmation regarding this scenario, stating in earlier remarks that Iran's participation remains on track and that no final decision has been taken concerning any possible changes.

This proposal remains merely a contingency plan pending what the coming days will reveal, amid global anticipation over the fate of one of the most prominent national teams in football history and the prospect of granting it a fresh chance to return to the biggest footballing stage in the world.