Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, said Canadian officials cleared him to enter for the FIFA Congress but Iran's delegation chose to return to Turkey after three hours of questioning at a Toronto airport. Taj — a former IRGC member — was asked about ties to the IRGC but was not deported; the delegation declined a later FIFA offer to fly them to Canada. Taj is requesting talks with FIFA to avoid "side issues" around Iran's World Cup participation.
Iran FA Chief Says He Was Cleared To Enter Canada — Delegation Returned After Three-Hour Questioning
FILE PHOTO: President of Iran Football Federation Mehdi Taj and Mayor of Tehran Alireza Zakani stand next to the FIFA World Cup Trophy during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran September 1, 2022. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/ File Photo
Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj said Canadian officials ultimately cleared him to enter Canada for the FIFA Congress, but Iran's delegation chose to return to Turkey after being held and questioned for three hours at a Toronto airport, Iranian media and Reuters reported.
Taj, a former member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told reporters that Canadian immigration officers questioned him about his links to the IRGC but then indicated he could enter the country for the pre-World Cup meeting in Vancouver.
Canada bars members of the IRGC from entering the country. The nation is a co-host of this year’s World Cup, which will be staged in June across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
What Taj Said
"We all had visas and were even checked in Turkey. They told us they had questions for you and asked if we were members of the IRGC," Taj told Tasnim, Iran's semi-official news agency. "We told them that there are 90 million IRGC members in Iran. They said that we don't allow people from this organisation in. They said that it is the laws of our country."
Taj said Canadian officials later told the delegation they could enter, but the group decided to return to Turkey voluntarily. He emphasized that they were not deported. "You kept us at the airport for three hours, you made us wait for nothing," he said.
FIFA Offer And Broader Context
Taj said FIFA President Gianni Infantino offered to send a plane to bring the Iranian delegation to Canada after they had returned to Turkey; the offer was declined. Taj also accused FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom of yielding to U.S. pressure, saying, "you are intimidated by America and that you say 'yes sir' to whatever they say." Reuters has sought comment from FIFA.
Infantino has stressed that Iran will play World Cup matches in the United States despite heightened tensions after military strikes involving the U.S. and Israel earlier this year. FIFA previously rejected Tehran's request for alternate U.S. venues for its matches.
Reuters contacted Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for comment. Taj said the Iranian federation wants a meeting with FIFA officials to ensure Iran's participation in the World Cup proceeds without "side issues and controversies" for the team.
Reporting: Dubai Newsroom. Writing: Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru. Editing: Toby Davis.
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