Ghana Midfielder Thomas Partey Denied Entry to Canada Ahead of World Cup Opener

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has been denied entry to Canada ahead of the country’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Panama.

FIFA confirmed that Canadian authorities refused Partey’s visa application, preventing him from travelling with his teammates from their training base in Boston to Toronto for Thursday’s Group L fixture.

The 32-year-old midfielder, who currently plays for Villarreal CF, remains on bail while facing multiple rape and sexual assault allegations involving four women over incidents alleged to have occurred between 2020 and 2022. He has denied all charges.

Despite missing the match against Panama, Partey is still eligible to feature in Ghana’s second group-stage game against England on June 23 in Boston, where the Black Stars have been preparing for the tournament. Ghana will then face Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27.

A FIFA spokesperson said: “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.”

A spokesperson for Canada’s immigration department said the country remains committed to hosting a successful World Cup while enforcing its immigration laws.

“Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies,” the spokesperson said.

“Under Canadian law, foreign nationals can be found inadmissible without a foreign conviction. When there are reasonable grounds to believe an act that would trigger inadmissibility has been committed by an applicant, they can be deemed inadmissible to Canada.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that Partey was admitted into the United States on June 3 after immigration officials reviewed his case.

“The U.S. is aware of the pending court case for Mr Partey; however, at this time, he has not been convicted of a crime and was admitted to the United States after being issued a visa,” the agency said.

Criminal Case

Partey, who joined Villarreal after leaving Arsenal FC in June 2025, was charged in July 2025 with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault linked to allegations from 2021 and 2022.

Authorities later filed two additional rape charges relating to an alleged incident in December 2020.

The former Atlético Madrid midfielder has pleaded not guilty to all eight charges, comprising seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

A court hearing is scheduled for October 2, 2026, while the trial is due to begin on June 8, 2027.