Twenty-five Ghanaians who travelled to Canada for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have applied for asylum, according to figures released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The applications are part of 175 asylum claims filed by foreign visitors who entered Canada on temporary residence approvals linked to the tournament. IRCC said it approved 26,111 FIFA World Cup-related temporary residence applications, with the asylum claims recorded as of July 20, 2026.
Ghana and China recorded the highest number of claims at 25 each, followed by Egypt and Colombia with 15 each. Senegal, Bangladesh and Nigeria each registered 10 claims, while Ecuador, Burundi, Nepal and Pakistan recorded five apiece.
Canadian authorities did not specify whether the applicants were players, team officials, support staff or spectators. Similar cases have occurred after previous international sporting events, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, when around 200 Ghanaians sought asylum, citing religious persecution.