Nigerians and Ghanaians are among 175 foreign visitors who travelled to Canada for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and later applied for asylum, according to official figures released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The data, published by the Canadian immigration department, showed that the asylum claims were filed by people who identified themselves as World Cup visitors in their temporary residence applications.
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Canada co-hosted the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup with the United States and Mexico, hosting 13 matches in Toronto and Vancouver. More than 26,000 temporary visas linked to the tournament were issued by Canadian authorities.
Spain won the tournament after defeating defending champions Argentina in the final.
Nigeria among countries with asylum claims
According to IRCC, Nigeria recorded 10 asylum claims, placing it among the countries with the highest number of applications from World Cup visitors who remained in Canada after the tournament.
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