Thomas Partey will not be able to play in Ghana’s opening World Cup game against Panama in Toronto after being denied entry into Canada.
The two countries are due to clash at BMO Field on June 17, on the same day that fellow Group L participants England and Croatia meet in Texas, with the victor eyeing a place in the newly created Round of 32—a stage that has been created by the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams.
Partey had been expected to start in Ghana’s midfield, but the former Arsenal midfielder will now play no part in that fixture. The 32-year-old, who joined Villarreal in the summer of 2025 after his contract at Emirates Stadium expired, was arrested and charged by the Metropolitan Police with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in July 2025. Partey was charged with two further counts of rape in February—charges he pled not guilty to in April having already denied the other charges.
A statement from FIFA, released to The Athletic, said: “FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government.
‘FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country.”
Canada’s immigration guidelines state that individuals who have “committed or been convicted of a crime, may not be allowed” into the country—though at the time of writing, no official government reason for Partey not being granted entry has been provided.
Partey is due to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court in London later this year, facing charges that date back to alleged incidents in 2021 and 2022. The central midfielder continued to play for Arsenal while under investigation, though the most recent allegations were not made until he’d completed a move to Spain on a two-year contract.
