2026 World Cup: 25 Ghanaian fans seek asylum in Canada

Twenty-five Ghanaian nationals who traveled to Canada with a temporary resident permit linked to the 2026 World Cup have applied for asylum after arriving in the country, according to figures released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

In total, 26,111 people had obtained a temporary residence permit stating they were traveling to Canada in connection with the 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted with the United States and Mexico. As of July 20, 2026, 175 of them had subsequently filed for asylum.

Ghana is among the nationalities with the highest number of asylum applications, tallying 25 cases, tied with China. Egypt and Colombia each report 15 applications, while Senegal, Bangladesh, and Nigeria have 10 each.

Canadian authorities have not specified whether the asylum seekers are players, delegation members, staff, or simply fans who traveled to attend the tournament.

This kind of situation is not without precedent. After the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, around 200 Ghanaians had already sought asylum, citing religious persecution—claims that were rejected by the Ghanaian government at the time.

Nouya M'toama

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