A total of 25 Ghanaian nationals who travelled to Canada during the 2026 FIFA World Cup have applied for asylum, according to newly released data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The applications are included in a broader group of 175 asylum claims filed by foreign nationals who had initially been granted temporary residence to attend activities related to the global football tournament, which Canada co-hosted with the United States and Mexico.
IRCC disclosed that it approved temporary residence applications for 26,111 people who indicated they were travelling to Canada in connection with the FIFA World Cup. By July 20, 2026, 175 of those visitors had gone on to seek 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 as reported by The Globe and Mail newspaper in Canada.
The department clarified that the figures relate only to applicants who specifically identified “FIFA World Cup 26” when submitting their temporary residence applications.
A breakdown of the data shows Ghana and China recorded the highest number of asylum claims, with 25 each. Egypt and Colombia followed with 15 applications apiece, while Senegal, Bangladesh and Nigeria each registered 10. Ecuador, Burundi, Nepal and Pakistan each accounted for five claims.
Canadian immigration authorities did not indicate whether those seeking asylum were players, coaching staff, team officials, tournament workers or fans who travelled to watch the competition.
Seeking asylum after entering a country on a temporary visa for a major sporting event is not without precedent. International sporting tournaments have, on previous occasions, been followed by asylum applications from some participants and visitors.
According to Myjoyonline, a similar situation occurred after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, when about 200 Ghanaians filed asylum claims, citing religious persecution. The Government of Ghana rejected those allegations at the time, describing them as unfounded.
