Iran officials won’t attend FIFA congress in Canada after ‘inappropriate’ comments

Iranian football federation officials will not attend the FIFA congress in Canada, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reports, citing what it says is “inappropriate behaviour of immigration officials” at Toronto airport.

Tasnim said three federation officials arrived with visas to participate in Thursday’s congress, but returned on the next available flight.

Iran’s football federation president and deputy secretary-general “returned to Turkiye on the first flight due to the inappropriate behaviour of the immigration officials at the airport, and the insult to one of the most honourable organs of the Iranian Armed Forces”, several outlets reported, without providing further details.

Canada is cohosting the 2026 World Cup with the United States and Mexico while FIFA’s congress is to be held in Vancouver this week.