At least 175 people who travelled to Canada on visitor visas to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup have reportedly filed asylum claims, with Ghana accounting for 25 cases, the highest number among African countries listed.
According to yen.com.gh, the development has drawn attention to the growing number of visitors seeking to remain in Canada after entering the country for the global football tournament.
This data has been shared by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Canada hosted 13 World Cup matches across Toronto and Vancouver in June and July, issuing 26,000 visas to international visitors for the tournament. Spain claimed the title on Sunday,
defeating defending champions Argentina in the final.
The Globe and Mail reported that among the nations whose nationals filed the most claims, Ghana topped the list.
Twenty-five Ghanaian nationals who flagged “FIFA World Cup 26” on their visa applications subsequently sought asylum, the IRCC confirmed. Ghana’s national team played Panama on 17 June in Toronto.
The other African countries noted were:
Egypt
Burundi
Senegal
Nigeria
Kenya
Breakdown of African nationals who applied for asylum After Ghana, 15 Egyptian nationals also filed claims after Egypt faced New Zealand in Vancouver on 21 June, while 15 Colombian nationals lodged refugee applications following their team’s group-stage match against Switzerland in Vancouver on 7 July.
Ten Senegalese nationals claimed asylum after entering Canada for the World Cup; Senegal played their final group-stage match against Iraq in Toronto on 26 June.
Notably, some claims also came from nationals of countries whose teams did not participate in the tournament.
These included 15 Kenyans, 10 Chinese nationals, 10 from Bangladesh, 10 Nigerians and five each from Burundi, Nepal and Pakistan.
An additional five claims were made by foreign nationals who entered Canada on an electronic travel authorisation rather than a visa.
The figures carry historical precedent. Twenty-two individuals made asylum claims in Canada during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, seven of whom were members of what the immigration department described as the “Olympic family.”
At the 2012 London Olympics, 82 officials and athletes sought asylum in Britain, including competitors from Cameroon, Eritrea and Rwanda.
