Three officials from the Palestinian Football Association have been denied visas to enter Canada ahead of a pre-World Cup meeting of FIFA member associations in Vancouver later this month, according to a report in The Guardian on Friday.
The British newspaper reported that the officials—including Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub—had planned to attend the annual FIFA Congress scheduled for April 30, which is considered an informal opening event for the 2026 World Cup to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Rajoub is also president of the Palestine Olympic Committee and secretary-general of the Fatah Central Committee.
According to The Guardian, the Palestinian association asked FIFA to intervene with Canadian authorities after visa applications were rejected. Canadian immigration officials said visa decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and declined to comment on specific applications.
The Palestinian delegation had also hoped to raise concerns at the Congress regarding Israeli soccer clubs playing matches in Judea and Samaria, an issue previously reviewed by FIFA, which concluded in March that it would take no action, citing the territory’s unresolved legal status under international law, the report said.
The visa refusals come amid broader concerns about travel access for national delegations and supporters ahead of the expanded 48-team World Cup tournament scheduled to begin on June 11, 2026, in Mexico City.
