Twenty-five Ghanaian nationals who entered Canada on visas for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have applied for asylum, data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada shows.
Figures reported by The Globe and Mail indicate that Ghana had the highest number of asylum applications among fans who came in on tournament-related temporary visas.
Ghana’s Black Stars opened their campaign in Toronto on June 17 against Panama. As of July 20, 2026, a total of 175 people who received World Cup-linked visas had filed refugee claims, according to IRCC.
Canada approved roughly 26,000 visas for visitors attending the 13 matches played in Toronto and Vancouver.Other African nations also saw fans file for asylum.
Egypt recorded 15 applications following its June 21 match against New Zealand in Vancouver. Senegal logged 10 claims after playing Iraq in Toronto on June 26. IRCC cautioned that more applications may be submitted as some visitors stay past their visa expiry dates and then pursue refugee status.
“Of the 26,111 people with approved FIFA-related temporary residence applications, 175 have since filed asylum claims as of July 20, 2026,” the department stated. It did not say whether any of the claimants were players, team officials, or staff members.
The report added that claims were also made by visitors from countries not in the tournament, including 15 Kenyans, 10 Nigerians and 5 each from Burundi and Nepal. Before the competition began, Canadian officials warned that visas could be refused or entry denied if applicants were deemed unlikely to depart after the games. An immigration consultant told The Globe and Mail that some Ghanaians who applied to watch World Cup games were turned down for visas.
This is not the first time a major sporting event has led to asylum requests. During the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, 22 asylum claims were filed, including by some Ghanaians. At the 2012 London Olympics, 82 athletes and officials sought asylum.
