"This is not Iran, this is the Islamic Republic's team. This is IRGC's team." That was the message delivered outside the FIFA Congress in Vancouver on Thursday, where around 30 protesters gathered to demand Iran's exclusion from the 2026 World Cup.
The demonstration was organised by Mission for My Homeland, with protesters draped in Iranian flags and carrying signs backing opposition figure Reza Pahlavi. Organiser Pouria Mahmoudi didn't mince words: "They're here not to represent Iran. They're here to normalise what's happening in Iran, the massacre in Iran."
A crackdown that changed the conversation
The backdrop to all of this is January's anti-government protests in Iran, which were met with a state crackdown in which thousands died. That context gives the protest outside FIFA's doors considerably more weight than a standard political demonstration. These aren't abstract grievances — athletes, including footballers, were among those killed.
"FIFA shouldn't be quiet about them," Mahmoudi said. "People should speak up about the athletes who have been killed." He drew a direct comparison to Russia's post-invasion ban: "Russia was banned from the World Cup... so we expect FIFA to do the same."
It's a comparison FIFA will work hard to sidestep. Russia was banned following a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport after the invasion of Ukraine — a state act of war with a clear sporting governance trail. Iran's situation is more complex, which is exactly why FIFA hasn't moved on it. That complexity, though, doesn't make the deaths any less real.
The Iranian football federation didn't even make it to Vancouver
Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj — a former IRGC member — was turned back at Toronto airport before reaching Vancouver. Canadian authorities, who designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, said entry decisions are made case by case. Taj had a valid visa. He still didn't get in.
"The moment we heard that he was coming to Canada, we tried our best to deport him, and we're happy that it happened," Mahmoudi said.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, for his part, said Thursday he expects Iran to participate and play their matches on U.S. soil — a stance Donald Trump endorsed the same day. Iran have already qualified for the June 11–July 19 tournament and have been pushing for alternative venues to avoid U.S. territory amid escalating tensions with Washington and Israel.
For a betting market, Iran's participation status carries real uncertainty — not because FIFA is likely to act, but because the political situation between Tehran and Washington has every reason to get messier between now and June. A team whose federation chief can't get into the host country is not a stable tournament fixture.
Infantino wants Iran in the draw. Trump agrees. The protesters outside say the team doesn't represent the country it's named after. And the man who runs Iranian football couldn't get through Canadian customs.
