Palestine Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub.
Canada denies entry to Palestinian officials for FIFA Congress in Vancouver
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Three senior officials from the Palestine Football Association (PFA) have been denied entry visas to Canada ahead of the annual FIFA Congress scheduled for 30 April in Vancouver.
The delegation includes PFA President Jibril Rajoub, the association’s general secretary, and its head of legal affairs, revealed a report by The Guardian.
The Palestinian federation has formally requested FIFA’s intervention with Canadian immigration authorities to resolve the matter.
The FIFA Congress serves as a pre-World Cup gathering of member associations and is regarded by officials as the unofficial launch of the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The event begins on 11 June in Mexico City and features an expanded 48-team format. Palestinian representatives had planned to attend to address ongoing governance issues within international football.
The PFA intended to respond publicly at the Congress to a FIFA report published in March that examined discrimination by ‘Israeli’ football authorities.
The submission, originally presented by the PFA at the 2024 Congress, concerned ‘Israeli’ clubs playing competitive matches in territories the PFA considers occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank.
FIFA concluded it would take no action, citing the unresolved legal status of the West Bank under international law.
The association had anticipated the possibility of escalating the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport following its response in Vancouver.
The visa denials have therefore raised concerns about the ability of all member associations to participate fully in FIFA’s decision-making processes.
A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stated that visa applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis according to eligibility and admissibility requirements.
The department declined to comment on the specific applications but confirmed that all applicants receive detailed correspondence regarding decisions.
Neither FIFA nor Canadian authorities have issued further public statements on the incident.
