At least 25 Ghanaians who travelled to Canada for the FIFA World Cup 2026 have applied for asylum, according to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The applications are among 175 asylum claims filed by visitors who entered Canada after receiving temporary residence approval linked to the tournament, which was jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.
According to IRCC figures, 26,111 people were granted temporary residence approval after indicating that their travel was connected to the World Cup. As of July 20, 2026, 175 of those individuals had gone on to submit asylum applications.
Ghana recorded 25 asylum claims, placing it among the countries with the highest number of applications, alongside China, which also recorded 25. Egypt and Colombia followed with 15 claims each, while Senegal, Bangladesh and Nigeria recorded 10 each.
Canada’s immigration authorities did not reveal whether those who applied for asylum were footballers, team officials, support staff or other visitors who attended the tournament.
Cases of visitors seeking asylum after international sporting events are not new. Following the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, about 200 Ghanaians reportedly sought asylum in Canada, citing religious persecution claims that were rejected by the Ghanaian government at the time.
