The beautiful game is coming to North America next summer. But for fans from dozens of countries, actually getting into Canada to watch it is proving to be anything but beautiful.
Government data shows that more than 50% of visitor visa applications linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been refused. That means the majority of people who applied to travel to Canada specifically for the tournament were told no. Canada is co-hosting the World Cup alongside the US and Mexico, with matches scheduled in Toronto and Vancouver.
Who’s getting rejected, and how badly
Ghana leads the pack in raw application volume, with 1,953 applications submitted. Of those, 1,423 were refused. That’s a rejection rate north of 72%.
Pakistan submitted 1,085 applications and saw 797 refusals, putting its rejection rate at roughly 73%. India filed 1,393 applications, with 687 turned down. Nigeria came in with 1,293 applications and 557 refusals. Colombia, despite submitting 1,793 applications (the second-highest volume), had 461 refusals, suggesting a comparatively lower rejection rate than the others on this list.
