Twenty-five Ghanaians who travelled to Canada on visas to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup have filed asylum claims, according to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The figures, cited in a report by The Globe and Mail, show that Ghanaians recorded the highest number of asylum claims among visitors who entered Canada on FIFA-related temporary residence visas.
The Black Stars played their opening World Cup match against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, one of the Canadian cities that hosted matches during the tournament.
According to IRCC, a total of 175 people who obtained visas linked to the World Cup had submitted asylum claims as of July 20, 2026.
Canada issued about 26,000 visas to visitors attending the 13 World Cup matches hosted in Toronto and Vancouver.
Other African countries also recorded asylum claims among World Cup visitors. Egypt recorded 15 claims after its match against New Zealand in Vancouver on June 21, while Senegal recorded 10 claims following its game against Iraq in Toronto on June 26.
IRCC said the number of asylum applications could increase as some visitors may remain in Canada beyond the validity period of their visas and later apply for refugee protection.
“As of July 20, 2026, of the 26,111 individuals with prior FIFA-related approved temporary residence applications, 175 people later submitted asylum claims,” the department said.
The Canadian authorities, however, did not disclose whether any of the asylum claims involved players, officials or members of support teams from participating nations.
The report also revealed that some claims came from nationals of countries that did not qualify for the tournament, including Kenya, Nigeria, Burundi and Nepal.
Ahead of the World Cup, Canadian authorities warned visitors that visas could be denied or entry refused if officials believed applicants were unlikely to leave the country after the competition.
The development follows similar situations recorded during previous major international sporting events, where some visitors used tournament-related travel as an opportunity to seek asylum.
