Twenty-five Ghanaians who travelled to Canada during the 2026 FIFA World Cup have applied for asylum, according to figures released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The Ghanaian applicants are among 175 foreign nationals who submitted asylum claims after entering Canada on temporary residence approvals linked to the global football tournament, which was jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.
According to IRCC, a total of 26,111 temporary residence applications were approved for individuals who indicated they were travelling to Canada in connection with the FIFA World Cup.
As of July 20, 2026, 175 of those travellers had subsequently filed asylum claims.
The Canadian immigration authority said the figures relate only to applicants who specifically identified “FIFA World Cup 26” in their temporary residence applications.
Ghana and China each recorded 25 asylum claims, the highest number among the countries listed.
Egypt and Colombia followed with 15 claims each, while Senegal, Bangladesh and Nigeria each recorded 10.
Ecuador, Burundi, Nepal and Pakistan registered five claims apiece.
Canadian authorities did not disclose the identities or backgrounds of the claimants, making it unclear whether they were football supporters, players, officials, support staff or other visitors who travelled to Canada for the tournament.
IRCC noted that asylum applications following major international sporting events are not unusual.
A similar situation occurred after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, when about 200 Ghanaians reportedly sought asylum, citing religious persecution.
The Ghanaian government at the time rejected those claims.
