Iranian soccer officials turned away from Canada ahead of FIFA meeting

People are silhouetted against a video screen during the launch of the FIFA World Cup trophy tour, in Vancouver, on Friday, April 10, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says it’s her “understanding” that Iranian soccer officials saw their permission to enter Canada revoked ahead of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.

Iranian state media says Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj and two other Iranian officials were denied entry.

Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner says she’s troubled that Taj made it to Canada, given his history as a former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Rempel Garner says the fact that a former member of a listed terrorist entity managed to get to Canada raises big questions about the government’s screening process.

When asked about Taj at a Toronto press conference today, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said he can’t speak about specific cases due to privacy legislation but people with ties to terrorist organizations are not welcome in Canada.

The online news outlet Iran International first reported that Taj had been granted a visa on Monday and that he had been removed from Canada late Tuesday evening.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2026.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press