IRAN OFFICIALS WALK OUT, REFUSING TO ATTEND FIFA CONGRESS
According to Reuters, the President of Iran Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, was detained for about three hours and questioned at Toronto airport in Canada upon his arrival for the FIFA World Cup. He was later allowed entry into Canada, but Iranian delegation decided to return home, refusing to attend the event.
Mehdi Taj is a former member of the Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Previously, Canadian authorities stated that IRGC members are banned from entering the country. Canada is also one of the three countries hosting the 2026 World Cup, starting in June, along with the United States and Mexico.
He stated that Canadian immigration authorities questioned him about his connections to the IRGC. Despite this, the host country of the FIFA World Cup ultimately allowed him entry to attend a pre-World Cup 2026 meeting in Vancouver.
Iran Delegation Decided To Leave Canada Despite Being Granted Entry
Speaking to the Tasnim news agency, Mr. Taj said that the entire delegation had been granted visas and completed checks in Türkiye. However, upon arriving in Canada, they were still asked to clarify whether they had any connection to the IRGC.
“We replied that there are 90 million members of the IRGC in Iran. They said they do not allow members of this organization to enter the country; that is their country’s regulation. After a while, they said we could enter, but we decided to turn back. They did not deport us; that was our choice. I told the Canadian side that we were held at the airport for three hours, that they made us wait in vain,” Tasnim quoted Mr. Taj as saying.
Mr. Taj Also Reveals a Suggestion
Mr. Taj also revealed that FIFA President Gianni Infantino had offered to fly Iran delegation to Canada after their return to Türkiye, but this offer was rejected.
Currently, the Canadian Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) has not issued an official response to the matter.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino affirmed on May 1st that Iran will still play its World Cup matches in the US, despite tensions between the two countries since the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran in February. Previously, FIFA had rejected Tehran’s request to move the matches in the US to another location.
“We need to work with FIFA officials to ensure that if we participate in World Cup, the team will not encounter any side problems or controversies,” Mr. Taj said regarding Iran’s potential participation.
Conclusion
This shocking news not only impacts global football news, but also world politics. If not handled well, it could significantly affect diplomacy. Join Taya777 to learn more about this story by creating an account and checking back for daily updates.
