Iran football boss blocked from entering Canada for FIFA meeting

 

The president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been denied entry to Canada after he arrived in the country to attend the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.

Mehdi Taj, who has close links with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was turned back by immigration officials at Toronto airport. He was also unable to obtain a US visa to attend the World Cup draw in Washington in December.

Canada’s immigration rules prevent members of the paramilitary IRGC from entering the country. Canada listed the IRGC as a terrorist organisation in June 2024.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has formed a close working relationship with Taj, even though women are effectively banned from attending men's football matches by Iran's Islamic Republic regime.

Infantino chose to make a controversial trip to Turkey last month to watch Iran play Costa Rica in a friendly instead of attending several high-profile World Cup play-offs which took place during the same international break.

Infantino has consistently insisted that Iran will play in the World Cup this summer despite the country being at war with the main hosts of the tournament.

Iran have been drawn to play in a World Cup Group G with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.

All their games are on the west coast of the US which is home to an estimated one million Iranian Americans. The vast majority are fiercely opposed to the theocratic regime which has governed their country for the past 47 years.