Canada Says Barring Iran From FIFA Congress ‘Unintentional’

The soccer world is descending on Vancouver this week for the annual FIFA Congress with representatives from each of the 211 national federations expected to attend ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

The biggest storyline of the gathering thus far, however, is who is not there.

Iranian soccer officials including federation president Mehdi Taj were denied entry into Canada on Tuesday. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Wednesday that the situation was “unintentional.”

Iran was not present during roll call on Thursday morning. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Thursday—again—that “of course” Iran will play at the World Cup and in the U.S. this summer.

Asked about Infantino’s comments Thursday, Trump said that “If Gianni said it I’m OK…Gianni Infantino, what a piece of work,” he said. “Gianni’s fantastic, he’s a friend of mine…I think, let ’em play, right?”

The Iranian officials missed the Asian Football Confederation Congress also held in Vancouver this week. The Canadian government’s immigration department has not commented on the specific official’s cases, though it pointed to the fact that the U.S. and Canada have designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and banned its members from entering. 

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iran’s players are welcome at the World Cup this summer but the “problem with Iran” is any non-athletes who have ties to the IRGC. “They can’t bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,” Rubio said.

Iranian officials also had issues entering the U.S. for the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., in December. Shortly after the U.S. and Israel first launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, the Iranian federation did not attend FIFA workshops in Atlanta in early March.

Team Melli is scheduled to play two matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. If Iran and the U.S. both place second in their respective groups, they will face one another in the Round of 32 in Dallas on July 3.

Tasnim, an Iranian state media agency, said federation leaders were denied due to “inappropriate behavior of immigration officials” in Toronto. Iran International, a U.K.-based news site, reported earlier this week that Taj had received a special permit to allow him into Canada because, the outlet said, he is a former IRGC intelligence officer. The news sparked backlash from Canada’s Senate Opposition Leader, Leo Housakos, who questioned “if and why” the government allowed a temporary permit for someone “with reported ties to the IRGC.”

Canadian minister Anand said her “understanding is that there is a revocation of the permission.”

FIFA pointed to Infantino’s comments when reached.

Iran’s participation in the World Cup was unclear for months. Iranian officials and federation leaders have flip-flopped their position, as has U.S. President Donald Trump, who at one point said that perhaps the team shouldn’t come “for their own life and safety.” Throughout the war, FIFA has said it wants all countries who have qualified to play in the tournament, and declined Iran’s request to move its matches to Mexico. FIFA has close ties to the Trump administration, including making a headquarters at Trump Tower in New York and bestowing the U.S. leader with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December.