Many refugee claims were also made by World Cup visitors whose national teams did not participate in the tournament, including 15 Kenyans, 10 Nigerians, and five each from Burundi and Nepal.
Twenty-five Ghanaians have claimed asylum among visitors who entered Canada on visas to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a report byThe Globe and Mail.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada data shows that Ghanaians top the list of asylum claimants.
The Black Stars played the first World Cup match with Panama on June 17 in Toronto.
In total, 175 asylum claims have been made by World Cup visitors who applied for visas to attend the tournament, which was co-hosted by Canada in June and July.
Canada issued 26,000 visas to visitors for the 13 games played in Toronto and Vancouver.
Other African nations also recorded asylum claims.
Egypt, whose team played New Zealand in Vancouver on June 21, had 15 claims, while Senegal, whose national team played Iraq in Toronto on June 26, recorded 10 claims.
According to the Globe and Mail reports, the number of claims could still increase, including from foreign nationals who overstay the terms of their visa and later claim refugee status, IRCC said.
Many refugee claims were also made by World Cup visitors whose national teams did not participate in the tournament, including 15 Kenyans, 10 Nigerians, and five each from Burundi and Nepal.
IRCC said in a statement that “as of July 20, 2026, of the 26,111 individuals with prior FIFA-related approved temporary residence applications, 175 people later submitted asylum claims.”
However, the department declined to say how many claims were made by soccer players or support staff from visiting teams.
Before the World Cup, IRCC had warned ticketholders that they could be refused visas or turned away by border agents if there was a fear that they might not return home after the tournament.
A number of Ghanaians were refused visas to attend World Cup fixtures, according to a Canadian immigration consultant quoted by The Globe and Mail.
The report also noted that when Canada hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, 22 people made asylum claims, including several from Ghana.
When London hosted the 2012 Olympic Games, 82 officials and athletes sought asylum in Britain. – via GO
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