Hamed Momeni
FFIRI deputy denied entry at Toronto Pearson alongside the federation president on 29 April 2026.
Last refreshed: 2 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why was the entire FFIRI delegation turned back at Pearson, not just the president?
Timeline for Hamed Momeni
Iran FA chief turned back at Pearson
2026 FIFA World Cup- Who is Hamed Momeni from the Iranian football federation?
- Hamed Momeni is the deputy of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI). He was denied entry into Canada at Toronto Pearson on 29 April 2026 while travelling to the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.Source: event
- What happened to the Iranian football delegation at Toronto airport?
- FFIRI secretary-general Hedayat Mombeni and deputy Hamed Momeni were refused entry by Canada Border Services Agency at Pearson Airport on 29 April 2026. Both were barred from attending the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.Source: event
- Who is Hamed Momeni FFIRI?
- Hamed Momeni is a deputy of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI). He was denied entry at Toronto Pearson Airport on 29 April 2026 alongside FFIRI president Mehdi Taj and secretary-general Hedayat Mombeni when the delegation attempted to travel to the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.Source: Lowdown
- Why was the Iranian football delegation turned away from Canada?
- Canadian border officers revoked FFIRI president Mehdi Taj's visa on the grounds of his reported former IRGC command role (Canada designated the IRGC a terrorist organisation in 2024). Deputies Momeni and Mombeni were also turned back. Foreign Minister Anand called it unintentional.Source: Lowdown
Background
Hamed Momeni serves as a deputy of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), one of the senior administrators in the federation's organisational structure. His public profile outside Iranian football administration is limited. On 29 April 2026, Momeni was refused entry into Canada at Toronto Pearson Airport alongside FFIRI president Mehdi Taj and secretary-general Hedayat Mombeni. All three officials held valid Canadian visas issued for travel to the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, but Canadian border officers revoked Taj's permission on Tuesday evening on the grounds of his reported former command role in the IRGC, which Canada designated a terrorist organisation in 2024. The delegation returned to Turkey on the first available service.
The simultaneous barring of the full FFIRI delegation — including Momeni and Mombeni, whose own backgrounds were not publicly cited as the direct basis for refusal — amplified the diplomatic impact of the incident. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand described the visa revocations as 'unintentional' and not a deliberate policy signal, but the episode nonetheless left Iran as the only national association absent from the Vancouver Congress.
