Who is Paolo Zampolli, Trump's friend who wants to repechage Italia in the World Cup

Italia at the 2026 World Cup in place of Iran. This is the "indecent proposal" put forward to the Fifa by Paolo Zampolli, special envoy for Global Partnerships linked to Donald Trump, according to whom Italy's record - four World Cup titles won in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006 - would make such a substitution legitimate. As reported by the Financial Times, the initiative would be part of a broader attempt to mend relations between the US President and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which had soured after Trump's criticism of the Pope, precisely in relation to the conflict with Iran.

To fully understand the effects this proposal could have, it is necessary to retrace the life parable of Paolo Zampolli, a central figure when it comes to activating informal channels between the United States and Italia, who has been personally linked to Trump for years. It is precisely this relationship of trust that has allowed him to assume a key role in strengthening bilateral relations between Washington and Rome.

Zampolli's professional trajectory is anything but linear. Born in Milan in 1970, he grew up in the family business, Harbert, founded by his father Giovanni and active in the Italian distribution of Hasbro products linked to franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel. The sudden death of his father in a skiing accident when Paolo was just 18 years old marked a radical turning point: he interrupted his university career and decided to sell the company.

The second half of the 1990s represented the first real turning point. Zampolli entered the international fashion circuit and in 1994 he helped organise the "Look of the Year" contest in Ibiza. There he met John Casablancas, founder of the Elite Model modelling agency, who encouraged him to move to New York. There Zampolli built a global network of contacts, founded ID Models and worked with real catwalk icons such as Heidi Klum and Claudia Schiffer.

The same period is also crucial for the beginning of his relationship with Trump. It was in fact Zampolli who introduced Melania Knauss to the real estate magnate during a New York Fashion Week event in September 1999. The relationship was consolidated over the following years and in 2004, on Trump's own advice, Zampolli decided to leave the fashion industry to enter real estate.