JUST IN: 25 Ghanaians seek asylum in Canada after World Cup 2026
Twenty-five Ghanaians who travelled to Canada for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have applied for asylum, according to data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The Ghanaian applications are part of 175 asylum claims submitted by foreign nationals who entered Canada on temporary residence permits issued in connection with the tournament, which was jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.
IRCC said it approved temporary residence applications for 26,111 individuals who indicated they were travelling for the FIFA World Cup. By July 20, 2026, 175 of those travellers had gone on to file asylum claims.
“Of the 26,111 individuals with prior FIFA-related approved temporary residence applications, 175 people later submitted asylum claims,” IRCC said in a statement cited by The Globe and Mail.
The department clarified that the figures include only applicants who identified “FIFA World Cup 26” as the purpose of their temporary residence application.
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. Ecuador, Burundi, Nepal and Pakistan each accounted for five claims.
Canadian authorities did not indicate whether the asylum applicants were football players, team officials, support personnel or regular visitors who attended the tournament.
Applying for asylum after entering a country for a major sporting event is not uncommon, and similar cases have occurred in the past involving athletes and support staff.
Following the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, around 200 Ghanaians sought asylum, citing religious persecution. At the time, the Government of Ghana rejected those claims as unfounded.
