A Canadian official has backed the report that Iranian football chiefs were denied entry to the FIFA event

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said on Wednesday it was her «understanding» that Iranian football officials were denied entry to her country ahead of the FIFA congress meeting in Vancouver just weeks before the start of the World Cup.

Anand appeared to confirm a report from Tasnim, an Iranian news agency linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, but she said the denial was “unintentional.”

Tasnim reported that Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, and two other Iranian officials were denied entry due to “inappropriate behavior of immigration officials” at Toronto’s Pearson Airport.

«It is not my personal indication, but I understand that there is a withdrawal of consent. It was unintentional, but I leave it to the minister to indicate it,» Anand said, apparently referring to Immigration Minister Lena Diab.

Online news outlet Iran International first reported that Taj was granted a visa on Monday and expelled from Canada late Tuesday night due to his connections to the IRGC, a designated terrorist entity in Canada.

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An email response from Diab’s office said all visa applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by trained officials.

“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,” said Taous Ait, Diab’s press secretary.

The meeting of the FIFA Congress comes weeks before the start of a World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. Representatives from each of the 211 federations in football’s governing body were expected to attend the event starting on Thursday.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Iran’s status for the event.

Published on April 30, 2026