By Teddy Nwanunobi
No fewer than 1,293 Nigerians applied for visas to enter Canada for the 2026 World Cup, despite the Super Eagles not qualifying for the tournament.
The figure placed Nigeria as the fourth highest number of applications.
However, as reported by the Toronto Star, preliminary data from the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada showed that between November 14, 2025, when the visa category was first announced and March 2026, 557 of those applications by Nigerians were rejected.
This also ranked the West African country fourth on the list of countries with the most rejections.
Meanwhile, Ghana ranked as the country with the highest visa applications, which stood at 1,953 as of March. The country also has the most refusal after 1,423 applications were denied.
This is despite the fact that the Black Stars of Ghana will start their World Cup campaign against Panama on Thursday.
Colombia ranked second on the list with 1,739 visa applications received from the South American country, India at 1,393 is third, while Pakistan with 1,085 applicants ranked fifth.
In Toronto and Vancouver, Canada will host 13 matches during the World Cup. Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina settled for a 1-1 draw in the opening Group B match on Friday.
Other teams set to place in the country include: Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Ghana, Iraq, Ivory Coast, New Zealand, Qatar, Senegal, Switzerland, and Turkey.
The top five countries with most applications are: Ghana (1,953), Colombia (1,739), India (1,393), Nigeria (1,293), and Pakistan (1,085).
The top five countries with most rejections are: Ghana (1,423), Pakistan (797), India (687), Nigeria (557), and Colombia (461).