Watching football stars like Sadio Mané or Mohamed Salah score on Canadian turf at the men’s FIFA World Cup next summer may be out of reach for many African fans, as long visa wait times and high ticket prices threaten to keep them from experiencing the beautiful game. 

As a co-host alongside Mexico and the U.S., Canada will host 13 matches—seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto—a first in its history. Nine African countries have already qualified, with four of them—Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal—slated to play their group-stage matches in Canada.

Visa processing times for visitors from those four African countries average slightly over 12 months, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data as of December 17. Given a processing wait time of 542 days, a Ghanaian supporter would have had to apply by December 2024 to secure travel for the June kickoff—long before FIFA released the match schedule in December this year.

Depending on their citizenship, many FIFA participants, including players and fans, must obtain either a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization to enter Canada. Holding an event ticket “doesn’t guarantee” visa approval, but IRCC will make “every effort to facilitate priority processing for last-minute World Cup players or participants that require visas,” spokesperson Matthew Krupovich said in an emailed statement.  

And even though visitors are encouraged to indicate that they’re attending the tournament in their application, Canada does not plan to issue special visas for ticket holders.

“We strongly encourage attendees to apply early to avoid delays, as late submissions may not be processed in time for the events,” Krupovich added.  

Emmanuel Duodo, president of the Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario, said that a reduced number of supporters could hurt local businesses. Canada is home to about 31,720 Ghanaians, according to the 2021 census, making it one of the country’s largest African diasporas.

“The game is meaningless to the [visiting] countries if they cannot get their supporters here to support the teams,” Duodo said.

FIFA estimates the World Cup will generate $3.8 billion in economic output for Canada, including $2 billion in direct GDP gains. Canadian governments have already budgeted $912 million to host the tournament, which is also expected to support 24,100 jobs and contribute $700 million in government revenue.

Krupovich said IRCC would use “all available tools to manage the anticipated surge in applications.” The department is already facing massive backlogs. The smallest backlog the government reported through October of this year was in June, when only 53 per cent of temporary resident visa applications had missed their deadline for a decision. It trended downward from January’s 71 per cent, but is on the upswing again, expected to rise to 61 per cent by the end of the year. 

The 2026 World Cup will be the first to stretch across an entire continent, sparking debates over border controls and national security. Mexico also requires visas for some visitors, though fans who already hold valid U.S., Canada, Japan, U.K. or European Schengen Area visas are eligible for streamlined entry.

In contrast, the U.S. announced an expedited process in November that will “allow World Cup ticket-holders with long wait times to opt with FIFA for a prioritised interview,” according to U.S. President Donald Trump. However, several participating countries, including Senegal and Ivory Coast, remain subject to a Trump-era travel ban.

Osuman Kassim Awal, an administrative secretary for the Ghana Supporters Union, has followed his national team through three World Cups, including the most recent edition in Qatar, where a match ticket produced a fan ID that functioned as a visa. This edition, he said, feels especially challenging, and not “fair” to African fans.

“If we’re going to go by what [is] on the website, then it’s obvious that maybe not even one Ghanaian supporter or fan will be able to attend this World Cup,” he said in an interview. But he hopes discussions between Canada’s high commissioner to Ghana, Ghana’s football federation and the Ghanaian foreign affairs ministry can help expedite the visa process. 

Greg Yerashotis, a sociology professor at Trent University, said it would be a “shame” if certain African countries were not represented in Toronto, adding that long visa delays could leave European teams far better represented in the stands than their African counterparts. 

“If our culture is multiculturalism, then there’s something awfully contradictory about the exclusion of particular countries, or the fans of particular countries.” Yerashotis said.

Duodo said that soaring ticket prices are a big concern for the Ghanaian community. “We are a developing country,” he said. “Some people are taking all their savings to try to come out [here]. Or maybe not all their savings, but it’s significant.”

When Mexico, Canada and the U.S. were selected as hosts in 2018, they estimated tens of thousands of US$21 seats. Instead, prices climbed further under FIFA’s use of dynamic pricing. After fan backlash, FIFA added a new US$60 tier last week, even for a final game where tickets initially reached US$4,185.

With less than six months before kickoff, Yerashotis said he hopes that immigration debates won’t overshadow what he sees as the spirit of the tournament—one rooted in inclusivity and people coming together for the love of the sport.

“My hope is that FIFA puts some pressure on the Canadian government. My worry is that we are going to be sandwiched between the United States and trying to appease them politically, and FIFA’s desire to respond to the fan base,” Yerashotis said.

With files from Laura Osman in Ottawa