World Cup (Times Of Ocean)- The Italian media outlets claim there is still a slim chance that Italy may qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but the outcome depends on Iran national football team’s place in the competition.
Italy, the reigning European champions which ranked sixth in the world in FIFA rankings, were defeated in their play-off semi-final against North Macedonia last week, and will therefore miss the World Cup for the second time in a row.
If, of course, the imagination of Sport Mediaset, Sky Sport Italia, and Sportitalia come true.
Sport Mediaset floated the theory, followed by Sky Sport Italia and Sportitalia, but it remains highly unlikely.
The theory became an issue after Iranian tyrants locked 2,000 women out of the stadium for their World Cup qualifier against Lebanon, despite the fact they had purchased tickets.
However, Iran national football team won the game 2-0, but had already been warned by FIFA in 2019 to stop banning women from the stands.
The Iranian national team remained 21st in the FIFA World Ranking released on Thursday. Currently, Iran is the top Asian team in the rankings, ahead of Japan, South Korea, and Australia. In the 2022 World Cup qualification match in Tehran, Iran beat Iraq on January 27 and the UAE on February 1, according to Iranian media.
Mehrdad Seradschi, a member of the Iranian Football Federation, noted on Twitter that he had heard “worrying news from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation.”
As the most extreme approach, FIFA may opt to exclude Iran from the 2022 World Cup, for which they have already reserved their place.
In theory, FIFA could promote in their place a country with the highest coefficient in the world rankings that missed out.
It would be Italy, the current Champions of Europe, who lost to North Macedonia 1-0 in the play-offs.