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 CupWho is Hamed Momeni from the Iranian football federation?
What happened to the Iranian football delegation at Toronto airport?
Who is Hamed Momeni FFIRI?
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.
