Reuters and The Associated Press reported on April 29 (local time) that a delegation including Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj, Secretary-General Hedayat Mombeni and Vice President Hamed Momeni arrived in Toronto with valid visas but ran into problems at the airport and returned on the first available flight.
Iran said the delegation turned back because of “unacceptable conduct” by Canadian immigration authorities. The Canadian government declined to discuss individual cases but said its policy barring entry to senior officials of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, remains in place.
AP said Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand effectively confirmed the refusal.
As a result, the Iranian delegation missed both the Asian Football Confederation Congress in Vancouver and the FIFA Congress. The incident renewed debate over Iran’s participation and travel issues ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America. FIFA has not issued an official statement.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.