The Iranian Canadian Congress is extremely disappointed with the decision announced earlier today by Soccer Canada to cancel the scheduled friendly match between Canadian and Iranian national soccer teams on June 5th, 2022. 

As we stated in our earlier statement, we strongly believe that conflating politics with sports by politicians and interest groups contradicts the values espoused by Canada including peaceful coexistence, democracy, and friendship.  

Thousands of Canadians and members of the Iranian Canadian community enthusiastically purchased their tickets in anticipation of this sold-out match. We believe that Soccer Canada owes an explanation to these fans about why this match was cancelled. We also condemn those who try to create an aggressive and divisive atmosphere in Iranian Canadian community, and encourage everyone to promote peace, friendship, and kindness since these are the core values of our community.   

The Iranian Canadian Congress invites everyone to embrace the upcoming World Cup as an opportunity to promote peaceful coexistence and friendship. Together with millions of Canadian and Iranian soccer fans, we will cheer for the success of the Canadian and Iranian national soccer teams in all cities across Canada.