Iran soccer official denied entry to Canada for FIFA Congress before World Cup

Story by

Seth Vertelney, USA TODAY

Wed, April 29, 2026 at 7:10 PM UTC ·

3 min read

Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) president Mehdi Taj has been denied entry to Canada for FIFA's annual meeting, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency .

Per Tasnim, Taj landed in Toronto along with FFIRI secretary general Hedayat Mombeini and his deputy Hamed Momeni, but all three were sent back on the next available flight after "inappropriate behavior of immigration officials."

Iran International reported Taj had been granted a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) to enter the country, but was still denied entry because he had previously been a commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which Canada designates as a terrorist organization.

A Canadian government statement provided to USA TODAY Sports said IRGC officials are not allowed into Canada, without commenting on the individual case of Taj.

"As with all Games-related events, visa applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis by trained officers," said Matthew Krupovich of Canada's immigration ministry.

"While we cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy laws, the government has been clear and consistent: IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country.

"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."

Meetings are being held in Vancouver all week, with the FIFA Congress set for Thursday, April 30.

USA TODAY Sports has also contacted FIFA for comment.

**MetLife Stadium**– East Rutherford, New Jersey (hosting World Cup final)

**Hard Rock Stadium**– Miami Gardens, Florida

**Levi's Stadium**– Santa Clara, California

**Lincoln Financial Field**– Philadelphia

**Gillette Stadium**– Foxborough, Massachusetts

Iranian officials were not present in Vancouver on Tuesday as members of the Asian Football Confederation met. According to AFC general secretary Windsor John, visa issues were to blame for Iran's absence.

“Kindly note that the Football Federation of Islamic Republic of Iran is unable to attend the 36th (AFC) Congress 2026 due to some visa formalities issues,” John said during roll call, per The Athletic.

Tensions between Canada and Iran have been especially high since 2020, when the IRGC shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, killing killing 176 people including 85 Canadians and permanent residents.

The Canadian men's national team cancelled a June 2022 friendly against Iran in Vancouver following a severe backlash across the country.

"While we considered the external factors in selecting the optimal opponent in our original decision-making process, we will strive to do better moving forward," Canada Soccer said in a statement at the time.

Will Iran withdraw from World Cup?

FIFA is holding its annual meeting this week in Vancouver, which is one of the 16 cities that will host World Cup matches this summer.

The 2026 World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, with Canada joining the United States and Mexico as host countries.

There have been plenty of questions over whether Iran will participate in the World Cup after the U.S. and Israel launched a war against the country in late February.

All three of Iran's World Cup group stage matches are in the United States, with two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iran is welcome to participate at the World Cup, but added that the U.S. may bar anyone in the traveling delegation with ties to the IRGC.