Iranian soccer officials claim 'inappropriate behavior' at Toronto airport, set to miss pre-World Cup meeting

VANCOUVER/TORONTO, April 29 : An Iranian football federation delegation, including a ​former member of Iran's hardline ​Revolutionary Guard, said they turned back at Toronto's main airport this week, citing their treatment by Canadian immigration, and are set to miss a pre-World Cup FIFA gathering in Vancouver.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that the delegation members, including federation president Mehdi Taj, secretary general Hedayat Mombeni and his deputy Hamed Momeni, turned back upon arrival despite holding valid visas, citing what was described as "inappropriate behaviour of immigration officials."

The Iranian delegation was en route to Vancouver for Thursday's FIFA Congress, which is meant to bring together representatives of all 211 member associations ahead of the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.

"While Mehdi Taj, president, Hedayat Mombeni, secretary general, and Hamed Momeni, deputy secretary general of the federation, had travelled to Toronto with official visas to attend the FIFA Congress, they returned to Turkey on the first available flight due to the inappropriate behaviour of immigration officials at the airport and the insult to one of the most honourable organs of the Iranian nation's armed forces," the Iran football federation said in a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency.

Taj is a former member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The incident that occurred on Tuesday underscores the practical and political obstacles surrounding Iran's participation at the World Cup, the most politically sensitive item on FIFA's agenda since the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran in February. Iran's qualification has not removed hurdles