Twenty-five Ghanaians who travelled to Canada during the 2026 FIFA World Cup have filed asylum claims, according to new data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The Ghanaian applicants are part of 175 foreign nationals who sought asylum after entering Canada on temporary residence approvals linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which was jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.
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IRCC disclosed that it approved temporary residence applications for 26,111 people who stated they were travelling in connection with the tournament. As of July 20, 2026, 175 of those individuals had gone on to submit asylum applications.
In a statement cited by The Globe and Mail, the department said: “Of the 26,111 individuals with prior FIFA-related approved temporary residence applications, 175 people later submitted asylum claims.”
The immigration agency explained that the data only includes applicants who specifically identified “FIFA World Cup 26” in their temporary residence applications.
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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 claims. Ecuador, Burundi, Nepal and Pakistan each recorded five applications.
Canadian officials did not reveal whether the asylum seekers were players, team officials, support staff or regular fans who travelled to attend the competition.
Authorities also noted that asylum applications from members of foreign sports delegations are not uncommon.
A similar situation occurred after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, when around 200 Ghanaians applied for asylum, citing religious persecution. At the time, the Government of Ghana rejected those claims.