A total of 175 visitors who travelled to Canada for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have applied for asylum, with citizens of Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and several other countries among those seeking to remain in the country after the tournament.
Figures released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) show that, as of July 20, 175 asylum claims had been filed by people who identified themselves as FIFA World Cup visitors in their temporary residence applications.
Canada hosted 13 World Cup matches in Toronto and Vancouver during June and July, issuing more than 26,000 visas to visitors for the tournament.
Spain went on to win the competition after defeating defending champions Argentina in the final.
The immigration department declined to disclose how many of the asylum seekers were football players, officials or members of team support staff.
