- Ghana and China lead foreign asylum applications following the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, with 25 claims each.
- IRCC issued over 26,000 temporary residence visas linked to the tournament, with 175 holders filing for refugee status as of July 20.
- The claims follow a similar pattern from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where nearly 200 Ghanaians sought refugee protection.
Twenty-five Ghanaian nationals who traveled to Canada for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have formally submitted asylum applications, according to official data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The claims represent a portion of the 175 total asylum applications filed by foreign visitors who entered the country using temporary residence approvals tied to the tournament, which was jointly hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
IRCC confirmed that it approved temporary residence visas for 26,111 individuals who cited World Cup travel. As of July 20, 2026, 175 of those visa holders had subsequently applied for protection.
“Of the 26,111 individuals with prior FIFA-related approved temporary residence applications, 175 people later submitted asylum claims,” the IRCC stated in a report originally carried by The Globe and Mail.
Ghana tied with China for the highest number of claims among participating nations at 25 applications each. Other countries recorded lower totals, including Egypt and Colombia (15 each), alongside Senegal, Bangladesh, and Nigeria (10 each).
Canadian immigration officials did not specify whether the applicants were players, team officials, auxiliary staff, or spectators.
The developments mirror past tournament trends. Following the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, approximately 200 Ghanaian citizens similarly claimed asylum citing religious persecution—claims that were later dismissed by the Ghanaian government as unfounded.
