The 2026 FIFA World Cup was supposed to be a celebration of soccer across three host nations in North America. But a recent report from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) revealed a shocking number of visa rejections that prevented thousands of fans from entering Canada for the global event.
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IRCC, in a recent report, revealed that they processed over 17,000 visitor visa applications from November 14, 2025, to March 31, 2026. Soccer fans from over 160 countries and territories were among the applicants for the matches at Vancouver and Toronto. But the report stated that only 41% of the applications were approved, leading to a staggering 59% rejection rate.
Ahead of the World Cup, the Canadian government released a list of rules for soccer fans to help them with their visa process. It asked the applicants to add “FIFA World Cup 26” in their eTA and visa applications to have a higher chance of approval.
The report published does not take into account how many added the required tag, but it did paint a picture of the approval and rejection stats. Applicants from eTA countries like Germany, Australia, Croatia, and New Zealand had an approval rate of 96%. Applicants from countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Syria, and Ghana had an approval rate of just 32%.
🚨JUST IN: Canada denied over 50% of all World Cup visitor applications
Thousands of football fans attempted to visit Canada for the World Cup, but less than half were allowed to enter the country pic.twitter.com/MBMSVha5Jg
— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) June 25, 2026
Among all applicant nations, Ghana, which faced Panama in Toronto, saw the lowest approval rate. The report revealed that only 11% of the 1,725 visitor visa applications were approved from Ghanaian soccer fans, leading to 1,725 rejections, which were the highest.
Behind Ghana, Colombia stood second with 1,630 rejections, although the country did not have a single game in Canada. Asian countries like Pakistan and India stood third and fourth with 1,250 and 1,225 rejections, respectively.
These rejections baffled fans as they referred to a welcoming statement from an IRCC spokesperson with CTVNews.ca.
“Canada is proud to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors for FIFA World Cup 2026, including athletes, coaches, officials, medical staff, media, corporate sponsors, and fans from around the world,” the spokesperson said.
However, the spokesperson also confirmed that the safety and security of Canadians was given the utmost priority.
“IRCC is working closely with FIFA and federal partners to make travel to Canada as simple and smooth as possible without compromising the safety and security of Canadians,” he continued.
Canada has a history of imposing stricter visa rules during global events. Even during the T20 Cricket World Cup it co-hosted in 2024, a 40% rejection rate was seen.
The 2026 World Cup is mired in controversies from the hydration break to fans, and even players denied visas across two of the three host nations, the USA and Canada.
An unusual World Cup experience
Canada denied entry to two players during the World Cup, stating they breached their immigration policies. Ivory Coast’s Elye Wahi and Ghana’s Thomas Partey were the affected players.
The policy states that players who have/are “committed or been convicted of a crime may not be allowed” into the country. Wahi was arrested in a match-fixing scandal before the World Cup and is part of an active investigation that denied him the required visa. He was supposed to travel to Toronto as his Ivory Coast was set to play Germany.
Similarly, Partey, who is set to stand trial in a rape case in London later this year, was also denied entry for Ghana’s clash with Panama earlier.
The United States also enforced strict visa restrictions during the World Cup. Most notably, Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry for the World Cup due to a travel ban on Somali citizens. Fans of Senegal and Morocco were also denied visas due to similar restrictions.
The Iranian national team raised a complaint to FIFA after they were forced to change their practice from Arizona in the USA to Tijuana, Mexico. They were also made to fly into the host city of their group stage games a day before the match and leave after the game was finished.
With FIFA deciding to make multiple countries hosting the World Cup a norm from 2030, they must also look into fair visa practices for the fans to move freely and create a global experience.
