Iran football chief 'denied entry to Canada' for FIFA meeting ahead of World Cup

Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj has been denied entry to Canada ahead of FIFA's annual meeting in the North American nation. Taj had been planning to travel to Vancouver to attend the FIFA Congress on April 30. But, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, Taj was sent back on the next available flight after 'inappropriate behaviour of immigration officials'. The Iranian football chief was joined by his secretary general, Hedayat Mombeini, and his deputy, Hamed Momeni. It is claimed that Taj had been granted a Temporary Resident Permit to enter Canada, but he was refused entry due to his affiliation with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He had previously been a commander of the IRGC, and Canada designates the group as a terrorist organisation. It appears that Taj had been allowed to land but was not permitted entry into Canada following questioning before being sent back on a flight on Tuesday. Canada's immigration ministry did not comment on the case specifically but said: "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." On Tuesday, Leo Housakos, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Canada, challenged the government over the expected arrival of Taj by Iranian press. “Your government can't seem to show the IRGC the door, but it can find a way to roll out the welcome mat and receive him," he said. "Leader, why is your government still unable or unwilling to enforce Canada's terrorism-related inadmissibility rules? What's the point of listing the IRGC if you're not serious about throwing him out of our country." JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page The Asian Football Confederation met on Tuesday, with Iranian officials not present in Vancouver. AFC general secretary Windsor John suggested visa issues were to blame, as 46 of the 47 AFC members were brought together. “Kindly note that the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran is unable to attend the 36th (AFC) Congress 2026 due to some visa formalities issues,” John said, per The Athletic. FIFA had anticipated each of its 211 member associations to be represented at Thursday’s Congress. The Congress serves as both a World Cup kick-off event and a convention. Last week, Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, said that Iran remains welcome to participate in the World Cup amid persistent speculation that they could still withdraw from the tournament. He added that anyone with IRGC connections would be barred from the country, however. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us - and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're cu rious, you can read our Privacy Notice .