Twenty-five Ghanaians who travelled to Canada in connection with the 2026 FIFA World Cup have applied for asylum, according to figures released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The applications form part of 175 asylum claims submitted by foreign nationals who entered Canada after obtaining temporary residence approval linked to the tournament, which was co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.
According to the IRCC, temporary residence applications were approved for 26,111 people who indicated they were travelling in connection with the FIFA World Cup. As of July 20, 2026, 175 of those individuals had subsequently filed asylum claims.
“Of the 26,111 individuals with prior FIFA-related approved temporary residence applications, 175 people later submitted asylum claims,” the IRCC said in a statement, as reported by The Globe and Mail.
The department noted that the figures relate only to applicants who identified “FIFA World Cup 26” in their temporary residence applications.
Among the countries with the highest number of asylum applications, Ghana and China each recorded 25 claims. Egypt and Colombia each accounted for 15 applications, while Senegal, Bangladesh and Nigeria recorded 10 each. Ecuador, Burundi, Nepal and Pakistan each registered five claims.
Canadian authorities did not indicate how many of the asylum applicants were football players, team officials, support staff or ordinary visitors who travelled to the country for the tournament.
Applications for asylum by foreign athletes, officials or support personnel during or after major international sporting events are not uncommon.
Following the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, about 200 Ghanaians sought asylum, citing religious persecution. The Government of Ghana at the time rejected those claims, describing them as unfounded.
