Ottawa says that 175 people who got approval to come to Canada in connection to the 2026 World Cup have submitted asylum claims.
The country with the largest group of foreign nationals claiming asylum was Ghana with roughly 25 citizens, followed by Egypt, Kenya, and Colombia with approximately 15 claims each; and Bangladesh, China, Nigeria, and Senegal with roughly 10 claims each, according to information provided to The Epoch Times by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Five claims each were also recorded for citizens of Burundi, Nepal, Pakistan, and Ecuador, along with between one to four claims each for a number of additional nations including Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan, to arrive at the grand total of 175.
IRCC noted that counts above five were rounded to the nearest multiple of five.
“While some individuals who enter Canada as visitors may later make an asylum claim, the vast majority of visitors comply with the conditions of their stay and the data speaks to it,” the IRCC wrote in a July 24 email to The Epoch Times.
“As of July 20, 2026, of the 26,111 individuals with prior FIFA-related approved temporary residence applications, 175 people later submitted asylum claims, which represents 0.67% of all approved applications.”
IRCC said that 170 of the 175 individuals came to Canada with temporary resident visas and five with electronic travel authorizations.
The department further noted that the data they provided is operational and subject to change and only includes applicants who flagged “FIFA World Cup 26” in their visa and travel applications.
IRCC said it could not provide a more detailed breakdown showing how many asylum claimants were spectators, players, coaches, team staff, FIFA officials, contractors, or other accredited participants in the World Cup, but noted that “athletes, coaches, officials, medical staff, media, corporate sponsors and fans from around the world,” entered Canada for the 2026 World Cup.
The 175 individuals who submitted asylum claims will be assessed to determine eligibility and, if they qualify, these applications will be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board. The board determines if the applicant meets the threshold of demonstrating that they face persecution or serious dangers such as torture, a threat to their life, or cruel and unusual treatment or punishment if return to their home country.
In addition to the information on asylum claimants, IRCC disclosed that 20,875 World Cup-related temporary resident visa applications and 205 electronic travel authorization applications were denied between Nov. 1 of last year and May 31 of this year.
IRCC said that refusal of applications can be due to a failure to comply with Canadian immigration law, as well as security concerns, suspected ties to organized crime, implication in human rights violations, or health or financial concerns.
The World Cup tournament started June 11 and finished on July 19, with Spain winning the cup. The tournament was co-hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico, with Toronto and Vancouver hosting the World Cup games in Canada.
