Football authorities gather in Vancouver this Thursday (30) for the 76th Congress of FIFA (International Football Federation), a crucial meeting less than two months before the start of the biggest World Cup in history, which will be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The war in the Middle East, the logistical problems surrounding the 2026 World Cup and the still unresolved issue of international sanctions against Russia are on the agenda of discussions among around 1,600 delegates from more than 200 member associations.
Iran’s absence already threatens to overshadow Congress.
Officials from the FFIRI (Iranian Football Federation) abruptly left Canada after landing in Toronto earlier this week and canceling their subsequent trip to Vancouver.
Iranian media reported on Wednesday that FFIRI President Mehdi Taj and two colleagues returned to the country after being “insulted” by Canadian immigration agents at Toronto airport.
Taj is a former member of the IRGC (Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), a group that Canada designated a terrorist organization in 2014.
Ottawa declared on Wednesday that individuals linked to the IRGC have “no place” on its territory.
Iran raises doubts
The incident further increases uncertainty about Iran’s participation in the World Cup, which has already been weakened since the start of the conflict in the Middle East on February 28, with a wave of attacks from the United States and Israel against the Asian country.
Iranian football officials said last month they had proposed moving their three World Cup group stage games from the United States to Mexico, a plan that was promptly rejected by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Infanteno told AFP that Iran will play in the World Cup “wherever it is assigned, according to the draw.”
Iran has two Group G matches scheduled for Los Angeles, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21. He will then travel to Seattle to face Egypt on June 26.
The United States has said it does not intend to exclude Iranian players from the tournament, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
But he expressed reservations about individuals likely to accompany the team, “some of whom have links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
Infantino under scrutiny
The FIFA president arrives at Congress this Thursday under intense scrutiny, following criticism of the exorbitant increase in World Cup ticket prices and his close friendship with United States President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, FIFA announced that it had increased the prize pool for the World Cup to almost US$900 million (R$4.5 billion), compared to the US$727 million (R$3.6 billion) initially announced in December.
The decision was made after several qualified teams reportedly warned that they were at risk of losing money by participating in the tournament, citing the high costs of travel, taxes and general operations.
Meanwhile, human rights organizations have called on Infantino to use his speech to FIFA delegates to ensure that World Cup visitors do not risk being caught in the crossfire of the Trump administration’s anti-immigration crackdown.
Infantino “has not yet publicly explained how he will ensure the safety of fans, journalists and local communities against arbitrary arrests, mass deportations and attacks on freedom of expression,” Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s head of economic and social justice, said on Wednesday.
“This FIFA Congress should be the moment for him to do just that, and the global football community deserves more than just empty words,” Cockburn added in a statement.
Withdraw Trump’s award
Infantino also faces calls to abolish the FIFA Peace Prize, which he awarded to Trump during the World Cup draw in Washington in December.
“We want it to be abolished,” Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Association, told reporters this week. “We do not believe it is part of FIFA’s mandate to award such an award.”
Thursday’s congress could also address the issue of continuing Russia’s suspension from international football, in place since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Infantino spoke out in favor of ending Russia’s suspension earlier this year.
“We have to (consider reinstatement), without a doubt,” he told Sky News. “This suspension achieved nothing; it only generated more frustration and anger.”
