By Anietie anii-bassey
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Wednesday that it was her “understanding” Iranian football officials were denied entry into Canada ahead of a major FIFA Congress in Vancouver, an incident that has drawn international attention just weeks before the start of the World Cup jointly hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
Anand described the situation as unintentional, suggesting that the refusal of entry was not the result of a coordinated political decision, but rather an administrative action tied to immigration procedures.
Her comments appeared to confirm earlier reporting from Iranian media, which said senior officials from the Iranian Football Federation were prevented from entering the country upon arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, federation president Mehdi Taj and two other officials were denied entry due to what it described as “inappropriate behavior of immigration officials.”
The report claimed the delegation had travelled to Canada to participate in meetings connected to the FIFA Congress, an event bringing together representatives from all 211 member associations of football’s global governing body.
Anand, speaking publicly about the incident, said she was not directly responsible for immigration enforcement but understood that visas had been revoked after being initially granted. She indicated that Immigration Minister Lena Diab would be better positioned to address the specific circumstances surrounding the decision.
“It’s my understanding that there is a revocation of permission,” Anand said. “It was unintentional, but I’ll leave it to the minister to indicate.”
The case has added a diplomatic dimension to what was expected to be a routine pre-World Cup administrative gathering. The FIFA Congress, scheduled to begin Thursday, is a key preparatory event for the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted across North America and is expected to draw heightened political and security scrutiny given the global nature of the participating teams.
Further reporting from the online outlet Iran International suggested that Mehdi Taj had originally been approved for a visa earlier in the week but was later removed from Canada late Tuesday evening. The outlet cited concerns over alleged ties to the IRGC, which Canada has designated as a terrorist organization, as a possible factor in the decision.
Canadian immigration authorities have not publicly detailed the specific reasons for the denial. However, in an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Immigration Minister Lena Diab emphasized that visa applications are reviewed individually and in accordance with Canadian law.
“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,” said Taous Ait, Diab’s press secretary.
The incident comes at a sensitive time for international football diplomacy. The FIFA Congress is expected to serve as one of the final major administrative gatherings before the World Cup, which will be jointly staged across North America in 2026.
Delegates from around the world were expected to attend meetings in Vancouver, where organizational and governance matters for the tournament are being finalized.
FIFA has not yet issued a public statement on the reported denial of entry for Iranian officials, nor has it clarified whether the Iranian delegation will be represented at the Congress in another capacity.
The situation also intersects with broader geopolitical tensions involving Iran and Western nations, particularly regarding security designations and travel restrictions placed on individuals linked to Iranian military or political institutions. Those tensions have increasingly spilled into sporting contexts in recent years, raising questions about the separation of international sport from political disputes.
As of Wednesday evening, it remained unclear whether Iran would send alternate representatives to the FIFA Congress or whether the issue would affect its participation in upcoming World Cup-related planning events.
Original article
Comments