The head of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), Mehdi Taj, has issued a strong ultimatum to FIFA, demanding official guarantees that the U.S. will not “insult” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) if Iran is to participate in the 2026 World Cup this June.
Taj’s comments come after an FFIRI delegation, including the federation chief, turned back from the Canadian border last week following what they described as disrespectful treatment by immigration officials while attempting to attend the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.
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Taj maintained that the decision to return to Iran was voluntary. However, Canada’s immigration minister later confirmed to parliament that Taj’s visa had been cancelled while he was en route because of alleged links to the IRGC.
Canada designated the IRGC, an elite military force tasked with protecting Iran’s clerical system, as a terrorist entity in 2024, five years after the United States imposed a similar classification.
FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafström subsequently sent a letter expressing regret over the “inconvenience and disappointment” experienced by the Iranian delegation and invited FFIRI officials to Zurich on May 20 for discussions regarding preparations for the World Cup.
Speaking to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB on Tuesday during a pro-government rally in Tehran, Taj said he would seek firm assurances from FIFA regarding the treatment of the Iranian delegation in the United States.
“We need a guarantee there, for our trip, that they have no right to insult the symbols of our system, especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Taj said.
“This is something they must pay serious attention to. If there is such a guarantee and the responsibility is clearly assumed, then an incident like what happened in Canada will not happen again.”
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