Iran soccer officials denied entry to Canada for FIFA Congress before World Cup
By Seth Vertelney
Published on April 29, 2026.
Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) president, Mehdi Taj, and his deputy, Hedayat Mombeini, were denied entry to Canada for FIFA's annual meeting due to "inappropriate behavior of immigration officials." Taj had previously been a commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which Canada designates as a terrorist organization. The tensions between Canada and Iran have been high since the IRGC shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in 2020. The FIFA Congress is being held in Vancouver, with the 2026 World Cup taking place in 2026. There have been questions over Iran's participation in the World Cup after the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran.
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