Thomas Partey has been barred from entering Canada, rendering him unavailable for Ghana’s opening match in the World Cup set for Wednesday in Toronto.
In July 2025, the former Arsenal midfielder faced five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, to which he pleaded not guilty. Currently with Villarreal in Spain, Partey was later charged with two additional counts of rape in February, also maintaining his innocence.
The 32-year-old was permitted to enter the United States on June 4, joining the rest of the Ghanaian squad for a training camp in Boston ahead of the tournament. Ghana is in the same group as England and will face Panama in their first match. However, FIFA announced on Friday that Partey’s visa application had been denied by Canadian authorities.
“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,”
the organization stated.
Partey, who previously resided in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, transferred to Arsenal from Atlético Madrid in 2020 in a deal worth approximately £45 million, before departing the club in June of the previous year. Ghana’s next match against England follows their opener, with England set to play Croatia on Wednesday.
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Canada’s immigration department remarked that while they cannot discuss specific cases without consent, their staff applies immigration rules consistently and without exceptions, regardless of an individual’s nationality or role in the tournament.
The department further emphasized that trained officers evaluate an individual’s eligibility and admissibility according to Canadian immigration laws.
