VANCOUVER, April 30 (Reuters) - The FIFA Congress opened on Thursday without Iran, its delegation's absence underscoring the geopolitical tensions and logistical fault lines hanging over the upcoming World Cup.
Iranian football federation officials, including president Mehdi Taj, were due to attend the gathering but turned back at Toronto airport after what Tehran described as “unacceptable behaviour” by Canadian immigration authorities, despite travelling with valid visas.
A source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters two members of the delegation could have attended the FIFA congress but chose not to after one of their delegation was denied entry into Canada.
No seats were set up for Iran at the Vancouver Convention Centre, a Reuters reporter witnessed, as 210 of the 211 member associations were shown as present.
Canadian officials said entry decisions were made on a case-by-case basis and reiterated that individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which Ottawa designates as a terrorist organisation, are inadmissible.
Taj is a former member of the IRGC.
The incident leaves one of the most politically sensitive delegations absent from FIFA’s annual gathering, depriving the congress of direct representation from a country whose presence at the 2026 World Cup is already shaping behind-the-scenes discussions.
The issue is particularly acute given the tournament’s cross-border nature.
The expanded 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, will require teams, officials and support staff to move repeatedly between jurisdictions, raising the prospect that visa restrictions or diplomatic frictions could complicate planning for certain nations.
Iran have already qualified for the tournament, but their participation has been fraught, with Tehran requesting alternative venues for matches on U.S. soil.
FIFA has rejected the request, insisting the schedule would stand.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week Washington had no objections to Iranian players participating in the World Cup but added that the players would not be allowed to bring with them people with ties to the IRGC.
(Reporting by Julien PretotEditing by Toby Davis)
