Iran was the only country without representation at FIFA’s annual congress on Thursday, held in Canada, even as world football’s governing body reiterated that the nation will take part in this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino stated again that Iran’s participation in the tournament remains confirmed, despite ongoing uncertainty linked to the country’s political and military tensions involving the United States and Israel.
“Of course, Iran will play in the United States of America. The reason for that is simple, because we have to unite. We have to bring people together,” Infantino said.
Iranian football federation officials, including president Mehdi Taj, had been scheduled to attend the congress in Vancouver. However, Iran remained the only one of FIFA’s 211 member associations not present at the gathering.
Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that the delegation turned back at border control, attributing the situation to their treatment by Canadian immigration authorities.
Canada’s foreign affairs minister Anita Anand said her understanding was that there had been a “revocation” of permission to enter the country, while adding that she would defer to officials for detailed clarification.
Questions surrounding the delegation’s entry have also been linked to national security concerns. Taj is reported to have connections with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an organisation designated as a terrorist entity in Canada.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said individuals associated with the IRGC are prohibited from entering the country when responding to questions on the matter earlier on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters, he added that while he could not comment on specific cases due to privacy legislation, the IRGC had been listed as a terrorist organisation in Canada for several years.
“There are multiple hurdles in order to get into the country and I think the important thing is that those hurdles are effective,” Carney said.
The Iranian football federation has yet to issue an official statement regarding its absence from the congress.
Minister Anand further stated that diplomatic relations between Canada and Iran have been absent for more than a decade, adding that the situation reflects longstanding policy positions between both countries.
“My understanding is that there is a revocation of the permission. It was unintentional, but I’ll leave it to the minister to indicate,” she said.
“I’ll say that on our position on Iran, it is clear from a diplomatic standpoint, we have no diplomatic relationships with Iran. We have not had diplomatic relationships with Iran for over 10 years.”
The World Cup is scheduled to begin on 11 June, with Iran drawn to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June respectively, before concluding their group fixtures against Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
United States President Donald Trump has previously said Iran would be welcome at the tournament, while adding that participation should be considered carefully “for their own life and safety”.
Asked again about Iran’s involvement following Infantino’s comments, Trump said: “Well, if Gianni said it, I’m OK. I think let ’em play.”
Iran had earlier requested that its matches be staged in Mexico, although Infantino has maintained that the team’s fixtures will proceed as originally scheduled across the host nations.
Separately, Infantino confirmed at the congress that he intends to run again for the FIFA presidency when his current term ends next year.
“As you’ve heard, the electoral period for the presidential election at FIFA starts today,” he said.
“I’m honoured and humbled at the same time, and I want to tell you first, the 211 member associations, I want to confirm to you that I will be a candidate for the election of FIFA president next year.”
Infantino already has backing from several continental confederations, including those in South America, Asia and Africa.
A FIFA president may serve a maximum of three terms, although Infantino’s initial period in office does not count towards this limit, as he assumed the role following Sepp Blatter’s resignation in 2016.
He is therefore eligible to remain in office for a further four years should he win re-election in 2027.