Iran was notably absent from FIFA’s annual congress held in Canada on Thursday, being the only nation out of 211 not represented. Despite this, Gianni Infantino, president of world football’s governing body, firmly reiterated that Iran “will be participating” in this summer’s World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Uncertainty and Confirmation
Concerns over Iran’s involvement in the tournament had arisen due to geopolitical tensions. However, Infantino emphasized the unifying power of football, stating, “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.”
Canadian Border Incident
Iranian football federation officials, including its president Mehdi Taj, were expected to attend the FIFA congress in Vancouver. Reports from the Iranian news agency Tasnim indicated that the delegation was turned back at border control, citing treatment by Canadian immigration authorities.
Canada’s foreign affairs minister, Anita Anand, later clarified that her understanding was a “revocation” of the permission to enter the country had occurred. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, when questioned about the issue, stated that members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which Canada designates as a terrorist organization, are “prohibited from coming” to the country. He noted that the IRGC has been listed as a terrorist organization in Canada for several years, and while unable to comment on specific individual cases due to privacy laws, he added, “There are multiple hurdles in order to get into the country and I think the important thing is that those hurdles are effective.”
Iran’s Stance and World Cup Schedule
The Iranian football federation has not yet commented on its absence. Minister Anand also reiterated Canada’s diplomatic position, stating, “My understanding is that there is a revocation of the permission. It was unintentional, but I’ll leave it to the minister to indicate. 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 set to commence on June 11. Iran is scheduled to play New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, both in Los Angeles, followed by a match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Despite previous suggestions from Iran for their games to be played in Mexico, Infantino has consistently maintained that the country would participate in the tournament as scheduled.
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