Iranian soccer officials were denied entry to Canada for the FIFA Congress, which the Canadian government called 'unintentional.' FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed Iran will still participate in the upcoming World Cup.
Key points
Iranian officials denied entry to Canada for FIFA Congress
Canadian government calls the situation 'unintentional'
FIFA president confirms Iran will participate in World Cup
Mentioned in this story
FIFAIranian soccer federationAnita AnandGianni InfantinoMehdi Taj
The soccer world is descending on Vancouver this week for the annual FIFA Congress with representatives from each of the 211 national federations expected to attend ahead of this summerâs World Cup.
The biggest storyline of the gathering thus far, however, is who is not there.
Iranian soccer officials including federation president Mehdi Taj were denied entry into Canada on Tuesday. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Wednesday that the situation was âunintentional.â
Iran was not present during roll call on Thursday morning. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Thursdayâagainâthat âof courseâ Iran will play at the World Cup and in the U.S. this summer.
The Iranian officials missed the Asian Football Confederation Congress also held in Vancouver this week. The Canadian governmentâs immigration department has not commented on the specific officialâs cases, though it pointed to the fact that the U.S. and Canada have designated Iranâs Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and banned its members from entering.
Itâs not clear which Iranian soccer officials have purported IRGC ties.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iranâs players are welcome at the World Cup this summer but the âproblem with Iranâ is any non-athletes who have ties to the IRGC. âThey canât bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,â Rubio said.
Iranian officials also had issues entering the U.S. for the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., in December. Shortly after the U.S. and Israel first launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, the Iranian federation did not attend FIFA workshops in Atlanta in early March.
Team Melli is scheduled to play two matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. If Iran and the U.S. both place second in their respective groups, they will face one another in the Round of 32 in Dallas on July 3.
Tasnim, an Iranian state media agency, said federation leaders were denied due to âinappropriate behavior of immigration officialsâ in Toronto. , a U.K.-based news site, reported earlier this week that Taj had received a special permit to allow him into Canada because, the outlet said, he is a former IRGC intelligence officer. The news from Canadaâs Senate Opposition Leader, Leo Housakos, who questioned âif and whyâ the government allowed a temporary permit for someone âwith reported ties to the IRGC.â
Q&A
Why were Iranian officials barred from the FIFA Congress in Canada?
Iranian officials were denied entry to Canada, which the Canadian government described as 'unintentional.'
What did FIFA president Gianni Infantino say about Iran's participation in the World Cup?
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will play in the World Cup scheduled for this summer in the U.S.
Who is the president of the Iranian soccer federation?
The president of the Iranian soccer federation is Mehdi Taj.
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Canadian minister Anand said her âunderstanding is that there is a revocation of the permission.â
FIFA did not respond to a request for comment.
Iranâs participation in the World Cup was unclear for months. Iranian officials and federation leaders have flip-flopped their position, as has U.S. President Donald Trump, who at one point said that perhaps the team shouldnât come âfor their own life and safety.â Throughout the war, FIFA has said it wants all countries who have qualified to play in the tournament, and declined Iranâs request to move its matches to Mexico. FIFA has close ties to the Trump administration, including making a headquarters at Trump Tower in New York and bestowing the U.S. leader with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December.