We can't imagine a World Cup without Spain, but it might just happen after news emerged that FIFA have written to the football federation warning they could be expelled from the competition.
That's right. FIFA have stated that government interference in the election process of its next president could see them suspensed.
Spain have been surrounded by political worries in recent months, and now FIFA have warned that they might be kicked out of the tournament if politics come into it.
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According to Football-Espana, FIFA often suspends the membership of any nation if political pressure influences its football association.
Spain's possible exclusion from the tournament comes just weeks after Italy, who have been knocked out of the World Cup, may yet find themselves taking part in Russia, next summer.
Peruvian outlet Libero are reporting that Congresswoman Paloma Noceda wants the Institute of Sport to control the country's football association.
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State interference in a governing body is something that is in conflict with FIFA's stance on governments involving themselves in the running of their national teams.
Should FIFA take exception to Noceda's proposed action, they could expel Peru from the World Cup and replace them with one of the teams who failed to qualify.
FIFA regulations state, "If any association withdraws or is excluded from the competition, the FIFA Organising Committee shall decide on the matter at its sole discretion and take whatever action is deemed necessary.
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"The FIFA Organising Committee may in particular decide to replace the association in question with another association."
With current rankings not entering into the decision as to who would potentially replace Peru, Italian publication Tuttosport claim that, as the joint second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup, having lifted the Jules Rimet trophy four times, the Azzurri would hold the edge over the likes of the Netherlands and South American champions Chile.
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