Toronto/CMEDIA: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has reportedly confirmed Dozens of people who travelled to Canada for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have since claimed asylum in the country following the matches.
According to IRCC, of a total of 26,111 people who travelled to Canada 175 people flagged “FIFA World Cup 26” on their temporary residence applications before travelling to Canada later submitted asylum claims.
Over the course of the five-week men’s World Cup, co hosted by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, 13 matches took place in Canada, in Vancouver and Toronto.
People who later claimed asylum originated in a dozen countries: Bangladesh, Burundi, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, China and Senegal with the highest number of claimants came from Ghana, with 25 people, followed by Colombia, Egypt and Kenya with 15 applicants each.
A person submitting an asylum claim in Canada must either do so with a with IRCC if they’ve already been granted entry and are in Canada, or by Canadian Border Services Agency officer at a port of entry.
FIFA men’s World Cup was the most-watched edition of this year’s tournament in Canadian history, with 77 per cent of Canadians tuning in, and the average person watching for about 15 hours of matches.
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