Iranian FA Officials denied entry to Canada ahead of FIFA Congress

• Iranian Football Federation officials, including Mehdi Taj, were denied entry into Canada despite holding visas for the FIFA Congress.

• Canadian authorities linked the issue to policies on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is designated as a terrorist organisation.

• The incident has sparked controversy ahead of the FIFA Congress and the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

Officials from the Iranian Football Federation have been denied entry into Canada just weeks before the FIFA World Cup, sparking controversy ahead of a key global football meeting.

According to reports first published by Tasnim News Agency, the Iranian delegation — which included federation president Mehdi Taj — was stopped at Toronto Pearson International Airport despite holding valid visas.

The group had travelled to Toronto to attend the upcoming FIFA Congress, a major gathering of all 211 member associations of FIFA.

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In its statement, the federation said the delegation faced "the unacceptable behaviour of immigration officials", adding that the situation forced them to abandon their trip.

The officials subsequently returned to Turkey on the next available flight.

The FIFA Congress is scheduled to take place ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on June 11 and will be co-hosted by the following:

•     Canada

• United States

• Mexico

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The meeting is a key decision-making platform for global football governance.

Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand addressed the situation, stating that her "understanding" was that the denial of entry had been "unintentional".

She added:

"It's not my personal lead, but my understanding is that there is a revocation of the permission. It was unintentional, but I'll leave it to the minister to indicate."

Her comments appeared to reference Immigration Minister Lena Diab.

A spokesperson for Canada’s immigration ministry declined to comment on the specific case but reiterated the country’s position on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

"We have taken strong action to hold the IRGC to account and will continue to do so, while protecting the safety of Canadians and upholding the integrity of our immigration system."

The IRGC has been officially designated as a terrorist organisation in Canada since 2024, making individuals linked to it generally inadmissible.

The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights also commented on the situation, noting:

"The Canadian ‌government had granted Taj special permission to enter Canada for a FIFA event.

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"He would otherwise have been inadmissible due to his affiliation with the IRGC, which Canada formally recognised as a terrorist entity."

The incident has added a layer of diplomatic tension ahead of the FIFA World Cup, highlighting the intersection of politics, security policy and international sport.

With global attention turning to North America for the tournament, such developments could have wider implications for football governance and international relations.