Twenty-five Ghanaians who travelled to Canada for the FIFA World Cup 2026 have submitted asylum applications, according to figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The applications form part of 175 asylum claims made by foreign visitors who entered Canada after receiving temporary residence approval linked to the tournament, which was co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.
IRCC said it approved temporary residence applications for 26,111 individuals who indicated they were travelling to Canada in connection with the World Cup.
However, as of July 20, 2026, 175 of those visitors had later applied for asylum.
“Of the 26,111 individuals with prior FIFA-related approved temporary residence applications, 175 people later submitted asylum claims,” IRCC said in a statement.
The department explained that the figures only cover individuals who specifically mentioned “FIFA World Cup 26” in their temporary residence applications.
Ghana recorded 25 asylum applications, matching China’s figure, making the two countries among those with the highest number of claims. Egypt and Colombia recorded 15 applications each, while Senegal, Bangladesh and Nigeria had 10 claims apiece.
Other countries, including Ecuador, Burundi, Nepal and Pakistan, recorded five asylum applications each.
Canadian authorities did not disclose whether the applicants were football players, team officials, support staff or ordinary visitors who attended the tournament.
