Iranian officials miss FIFA Congress over harassment in Canada | World Cup 2026 news

A delegation from Iran’s soccer federation said it returned to Toronto airport this week, based on information it received from Canada, and is expected to miss FIFA’s pre-World Cup meeting in Vancouver.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported on Wednesday that the delegation, including federal President Mehdi Taj, Secretary General Hedayat Mombeni and his deputy, Hamed Momeni, were turned back after arriving at Toronto’s Pearson Airport despite having valid visas, citing what it called “unacceptable behavior by immigration officials”.

The Iranian delegation was on its way to Vancouver for the FIFA Congress on Thursday, which is supposed to bring together the representatives of all 211 organizations before the World Cup which is hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.

“Although Mehdi Taj, the president, Hedayat Mombeni, the general secretary, and Hamed Momeni, the deputy general secretary of the Federal Federation, went to Toronto with valid visas to attend the FIFA Congress, they returned to Turkey on the first visit due to the unacceptable behavior of the immigration officials at the airport and the insult to the most respected military in Iran,” he said. words.

In 2024, Canada listed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, and the Canadian government said Taj was denied entry because of his ties to the IRGC.

“While we cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy laws, the government has been clear and consistent: IRGC officials are not allowed in Canada and have no place in our country,” the Canadian government said.

“We have taken strong action to hold the IRGC accountable and will continue to do so, protecting the safety of Canadians and maintaining the integrity of our immigration system.”

However, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said it was “understandable” that Iranian soccer officials had been refused entry into the country but added that the refusal was “unintentional”.

“It is not my direction, but my understanding is that there is a withdrawal of permission. It was not intentional, but I leave it to the minister to clarify,” Anand said, apparently referring to Immigration Minister Lena Diab.

Canada’s Minister of Public Security Gary Anandasangaree said he could not talk about specific cases due to privacy laws, but IRGC members were not welcome in Canada.

Tuesday’s events highlight the real and political obstacles to Iran’s participation in the World Cup, the most difficult political event for FIFA since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran in February.

Iran’s qualification did not remove travel, visa and security barriers for tournaments held in three countries.

Although FIFA has insisted that the protests will go ahead as planned, the delegation’s withdrawal raises doubts about whether Iranian players, officials and supporters will be able to travel freely across the border during matches.

FIFA contacted the Iranian delegation to express their condolences over the incident and said President Gianni Infantino would arrange a meeting with them at the organization’s headquarters, the Tasnim report added.

The FIFA Congress is usually routine, but it is very heavy this year with the World Cup less than two months away and several questions, including the cost and the participation of Iran, remain in the first tournament of 48 teams.

Iranian officials were also unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting of the Asian Football Confederation, which was held in Vancouver.